Arlecchino
by Luckywild
Summary: As the Spirit of Tomfoolery and the representative of April 1st, known as April Fool Day, Marcaria is put out when Jack is suddenly famous while her time in the light had long dulled. She meets Momus and finds a new talent - that of making the God of Satire smile, even if it takes forever for him to do so. Caught between him and the other Gods/Goddesses, change is set in motion...
1. Chapter 1

Rise of the Guardians

Arlecchino

Chapter 01

The russet-haired, small girl with big midnight blue eyes and deep peach skin stood in the bustling crowd, silent, still, and with a blank look on her face. Unable to smile, unable to laugh in this form, the little girl who wasn't what she seemed to be was watching the world go by her, without being noticed or thought upon.

Which never bothered her until recently. The news of a new Guardian, a Guardian of Fun, irked the girl. Shape shifted into a little girl, she couldn't do her job quite well as she couldn't smile or truly interact, but she hoped vainly to have at least a glance of attention. After all, who would leave a child all alone?

But as she stood there patiently, her thoughts roiled in her head as she regarded the impossibilities of her task. It was quite simple, really, nothing that would change the world in a one-eighty turn but it made the world better.

The little girl shifted, falling away from the form into another one gracefully, that of her true form. She bore the same russet colored hair in a long French braid, the left half of her face hidden in a half-form jester's mask. It was white with a midnight blue, four pointed star for an eye and a half of a pair of ruby red lips.

She never, ever took off her mask. Her shame, her sorrow, her pain, and her past existed behind this protection and she was more than wary about exposing herself.

Not that anyone but the Man in the Moon took notice of her. After all, he was the one who rose her from death to become who she was now.

She walked away from the bustling crowds and wandered in an absent fashion. She hurt, more lately due to the changes that had transpired. She was enraged, deeply, deeply angered that like it had been for centuries, her gift was seemingly no longer needed.

The girl was petite-figured at around five feet two inches and thin. She wore a white tank top, the top edged in a viridian fabric that matched her jean shorts that was held up to her hips lightly in a gold band. Falling from this band along the left of her hip was a partial skirt, tier-layered in two, it was a flimsy Persian blue fabric, the edges ruffled. She wore white ankle socks, with mismatched coloring but fundamentally the same sneakers, that of the right shoe was gold with Persian blue stars and heel, and the left of a Persian blue with gold stars and heel.

The last part that she often didn't bother to wear unless she was feeling the 'spirit' was of the jester's hat, a two-pronged hat with the right side colored yellow with pink plaid patterns and the right side pink with yellow plaid patterns.

She moved slowly, no longer interested in the mortal life. She had long since left it and had been a very faithful spirit. But now that the Guardian of Fun usurped her position, she was beginning to think that she really had no place left. After all, her holiday was literally a joke, no longer actively shared as something more than silliness.

She was the spirit of April Fools Day, chosen by the Man in the Moon to bring laughter when there had been none. But that disaster passed and she was needed less and less until now, now that she had been replaced.

"What am I to do?" She turned toward the encroaching night sky, the sun setting in the opposite direction. "What purpose do I serve now? For small and insignificant pranks that do little to bring light and joy anymore? Where people go for the violent and crude way of so called 'humor' of today's so called advance into what's funny and what's not? I do not stoop to that level, sir! I will never! My humor is to bring happiness and joy, not pain at the expense of others!"

"Stupid, stupid Frost," She turned away into the falling sun, stomping around as she felt anger come unabated. "Why did the Dark Ages have to go? It was so much more easier then! How am I supposed to do ANYTHING when I'm not even as affective! I can't touch anyone or anything! I can only do silly, harmless pranks and no one wants that! At all!"

She eventually came to rest on a hill, overlooking the town of Burgess, where she'd been traversing to for the last few weeks. She was going to have a talk with this Jack Frost, one way or another. She was going to get her place back in the world of laughter and make sure she stayed there. No matter what she had to do.

By the time she managed to enter, the moon was up and available for a talking to.

"Look, Lune, I know that you've been watching and how happy everything's been and all that with your new wonder boy, but I have to ask. Where the Hell do I stand in this? I.. I can't even do my job anymore! I can't make anyone laugh!"

She ran her hand through her bangs with a whimper. "I'm so worried about this. So panicked. Why did you make him the Guardian of -Fun-?"

She came to the forest where Jack's pond would be found in. She looked around at the shadows in annoyance. "I'm incapable of being hurt, I'm incapable of being hurt.."

The girl didn't want to admit it but she was terrified of the dark. She used laughter often to ease that fear but now that she was feeling less and less cheery, her fears were getting stronger.

"Hey, Frostbite! Get your butt out in view!" She shouted at the edge of his pond. It was slowly freezing, autumn seeping into winter.

Jack appeared in a flurry of ice as the boy landed limberly on his feet, his staff hitting the ground after his feet did. "Sooo.. .can I help you?"

She stared at him, trying to think of something to say. Her mind became a blank slate as she tried vainly to remember what she wanted to say, those exact words.

It didn't quite work. "You're a jackass!"

Jack sighed. "Great, another Bunny."

"No, that's not what I mean.. I.. I'm Marcaria D'Avril, the Spirit of the Aprils Fool and you're taking away my laughter!"

"You're joking , right?"

Her face turned hot red. "NO!" She screamed in rage. "Do you know how HARD it is to get people to laugh? To share in that laughter? No, it's all mean this and mean that, everyone's been turned to the idiotic notion that being the fool is an insult and should be treated like garbage instead of bring light and happiness. Now it's all crude jokes and rank attitudes… why do you get to get people to have fun and laugh while I'm getting more and more forgotten?"

The moonlight gently danced across the two as Marcaria turned toward the moon and shooed at it. "Go away, Lune. This conversation is for our ears only! No, I don't care that you made him a Guardian! He's taking away my livelihood!"

Jack was interested in the argument that she was having with the Man in the Moon. The pale boy rested on his staff, one leg bent over the other casually as he observed the girl get very upset and threw a tantrum right then and there.

"I don't care that you say I can do it! I've been TRYING AND TRYING AND TRYING! I can't even get a stupid chuckle!"

The sound of Jack's soft laughter made her turn hard. "How dare you mock me."

"I'm.."

She kicked his staff out from under him, sending him sprawling to the ground. "You stupid punk. I should kick your ass for laughing at me! What kind of spirit are you? Huh? Huh?"

The moonlight once more touched her as she gritted her teeth and put her fingers in her ears. "I'm not listening! I'm not listening!"

Jack stood up, brushing off the dirt from his sweater as he then kicked up his staff with a gust of cold air.

She glared at him with cold eyes. "I brought light and joy and happiness when it was the Dark Ages. I made the world lighter and happier! But now as people have traversed and distanced themselves from the sorrows of life by hiding in their violent gore and cruel foolery, I'm more than useless, I'm unwanted!"

Marcaria glared at him balefully.

Jack rubbed his head. "Look, I'm just snowballs and fun, not like the whole picture. I'm sure that there's something you can do."

"Bullshit."

Jack winced at the tone and language. "You have a pretty accent, though it's pretty faint."

"Go to Hell, Frostbite!"

The moonlight grew stronger as she turned sharply and gritted her teeth. Her body slowly loosened as her body relaxed into a defeated pose. "I don't care about that he's important. I want to be important too.. I know you say that but what about this world? What about my touches and laughter? Who am I supposed to bring happiness to when my jokes are so old-school and stupid in the eyes of all these mortals?"

She covered her face with her hands, a sob breaking out. "I've kept up my spirits for so long, to feel them fall into despair.. That's not what I want!"

Marcaria turned again, anger lighting in her eyes. "It's all of your fault!"

Jack began to talk. "You can't blame me…"

"You're a GUARDIAN! OF FUN! You get to see people and make them laugh and enjoy life! You get to interact and get others to play! I was created in the Dark Ages to bring laughter when the Boogeyman took the happiness away. A simple joy, a simple love, so insignificant when faced with darkness and yet so strong that it made it fall away from it."

"But now there is no darkness, there is no tragic living, there's only mortals and their laziness and cruel intentions. What happened to the days when we all worked as one? When we joined forces and people believed in helping each other? Now it's all kill that, kill this, pick on this poor kid, make fun of this fat guy, sure, it won't matter because it's funny for the cruel people but heartbreaking for the victims!"

Jack was holding his ears at this point as she raged at him. She then shrieked in fury, turned, and tore out of there. Once out of the forest, she let loose all the bad language she knew, slamming around the ground in her frustration. The moonlight this time didn't touch her as the Man in the Moon let her get her anger out.

"Oh, god, this is such bullshit…" She held her aching head. "What's the point anymore?"

"What is the point anymore?"

She thought it was Jack, coming back to say something stupid when the tall man slunk out of the shadows, walking with a heavy gait. He was lanky with an angular, sharp face, but muscled with a slight pot-belly visible under the silver wife beater he wore. His gray jean pants clung tightly to him till it clumped at his ankles, over his dark green sneakers.

His claret-hued hair was spiked to the side, with ending at a slender braid that ended at the bottom of his neck.

His question was cool and emotionless, as the man towered over her. "Heard you bitching, Pranksta."

"Just go away! I've already yelled at Frostbite, I'll just yell at you!"

The man walked by her, still walking with his obvious gait. She couldn't help it. "Are you all right?"

He glanced at her, about to disappear into the shadows. He ignored her and delved into the darkness.

She followed her impulse, disappearing into the shadows with him as Jack finally popped out.

"Hey, I… well, geez, she didn't stick around to apologize for yelling at me. What did I ever do?"

The shadows dispersed for Marcaria as the sweet smell of wheat and grass hit her nose. The sunlight was startling as it had just been nighttime. She looked around, seeing only the tall wheat moving with the soft, warm wind.

She followed the parted wheat in hopes of catching up to the stranger, moving quickly as she broke into a run. The wheat was endless as she was beginning to think she'd never find the end.

Until she tripped on her feet into a hard roll, making the world spin as she sat on her buttocks, confused and dazed.

"So you followed me, huh? Aren't you stupid? Oh, wait, not, you're supposed to be comedic. Congrats, Prank, you made me crack a smile."

She looked up at him, seeing no sign of a smile. "You're lying… I don't like being lied to! If you're not going to smile, then fine! I wouldn't want you to laugh at a person's pain anyways! That's not how it works!"

He stared her down silently.

"Are you always this creepy?" She stood up, brushing her hands against her clothes anxiously.

"You look very charming."

She glared at his snarky tone.

"No, really, the shoes are a perfect match for your…. Ensemble."

She crossed her arms. "I…"

"Yes, why are you here?"

She turned red. "You were limping."

"It's not a limp, sugar. It's my way of walking. It's an old wound see, and none of your concern so take your pretty little ass and beat it."

Her hands fisted at her hips as she stood straighter. "You're a fucking dick!" She threw up her hands. "What's the deal with these lousy men? Think they're the bee's knees and that the world revolves around them! Fine, forget it. I won't bother caring about another human being ever! Not like there's anyone else out there that cares about me!"

She turned and stared at the tall wheat. "Is there a FASTER and easier way to get out of here? I don't want to run through that all over again."

She turned to find him walking away. She looked startled and then pained as she gritted her teeth.

Her head hurt, her heart ached from all the anger she'd been feeling, and now she was being left alone in a strange place without any help.

The sob broke out, choked as she fought her tears. She never cried, she told herself angrily. There was always a silver lining, try to find something funny, she kept repeating in her head.

But the headache blossomed into great pain as she fell to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably. All that she'd had to endure over the years and now that she seemed no longer needed, she was terrified of fading away into nothing, no longer existing. She didn't think the Man in the Moon would be that cruel but what purpose did she have now that Jack Frost was doing her job ten times better?

Her hands went to her face, knocking off the mask as she sobbed harder. She didn't hear his footsteps nor felt his shadow overpass her form as he stared down at her lowered head. He knelt slowly, picking up the half-mask and noting how light it was and yet it had stayed in place on her face.

He tilted ever to the left, eyes going to what looked like Hell.

Her eyes opened, although, to be honest, there was only one actual eye left. The left of her face was mauled beyond recognition. Her head tilted up to look into his eyes as they widened with surprise and disgust.

Her skin paled as her eyes fell to the mask. "Oh.. Oh.. Don't look! Don't look! I know I'm a monster!" She broke out, grabbing the mask as she turned and tried to run. She tripped again, the mask flying out of her hand into the hidden realm of the wheat as pain escalated and her head dropped into the ground, her body shaking with pain-stricken sobs.

She heard him walk past her silently as she laid there. She sobbed until she finally quieted, exhausted.

There was a soft clatter on the ground as the man dropped her mask. "You're not a monster. I am."

She sniffled, pushing up as she put the mask back on, her hands shaking. She rubbed her eyes, suddenly embarrassed for having done what she had done.

"You coming?"

She looked to him, eyes red and swollen. He stood, arms crossed with a scowl on his face.

"Are.. Are you sure you want me to…?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked. I'm hungry so let's go eat. Move it, Prank. Gotta keep up with me."

"Okay!" She stood up, shaking off the dirt off her clothes as she then hurried to catch up with him. "Hey, hey… wait, we're not monsters! We're just misunderstood!"

"You're misunderstood."

"So are you!"

"Look, stop talking or else I won't feed you!"

"What are we having?"

"What did I just say!?"

"I'm sorry…"

He groaned as he reached behind him without looking, taking her by the arm as she was placed tightly to his side though he didn't bother looking at her. "Go back to being a bitch. It's easier for me to deal with, Prank."

"Oh… umm.. My name is Marcaria D'Avril."

"Momus."

"M..Momus… what's that based on?"

"The Greek God of Satire."

She unexpectedly snickered.

"It's not funny!"

"Oh, I'm sorry.." She stopped automatically, looking down and upset that she had done something that she had told herself never to do, laugh at someone else's expense without them finding it funny too.

His hand came up to her hair and ruffled it unexpectedly. He then led the way to a single-layered home, very long and very elegant, sort of resembling Greek styles such as the buttresses and various statues set around.

"Touch anything that you're not supposed to and I'll break your fingers," Momus warned as he held the door open.

She looked at him warily. "Am I supposed to take that seriously or are you kidding? Because if you are, I can't tell."

"You pick whatever you want."

"I don't want to! I like my fingers!" She hurried after him as the door closed behind them. Her voice came out, disembodied. "You were kidding, right? Tell me you were joking!"


	2. Chapter 2

Rise of the Guardians

Arlecchino

Chapter 02

She was sleeping, wrapped in warmth and comfort. It'd been a long time since she'd been able to sleep in a bed, having wandered around the world and sleeping in the great outdoors.

As such, she was loathe to even wake up, curling tighter against the warmer and harder side of the bed that she mistook as a pillow.

'Since when are pillows hard? And this warm?'

"Unless you're hoping to go to the next base, I suggest letting go of my body."

She lurched off the bed, pulling the comforter with her as she shrieked. "How did I end up in your bed?!" She shrieked, making him wince at the rather high note.

"You fell asleep and as I did not want to sleep anywhere else, I thought we could share. You seemed used to sharing a bed."

"Yea, yea.." Her head dropped from sight. "With my family."

"Here," Momus handed her her mask.

"…When did I take this off?"

"I took it off for you. You need to let air come to your face once and a while, it makes things a little better."

She snatched it hurriedly and put it on, trying to avoid his gaze.

"You're not ugly, if that's what you're worried about."

"What do you know about ugly? You're beautiful." She snapped. "Besides, it's not like I'm ashamed… I just can scare people."

"Please, I scare more people than you could do in an eternity." Momus left the bed as she was given a shot of his naked buttocks.

"Wh…why are you naked?"

"I sleep like it. It's sort of a old habit."

"With ME in the bed?!"

"So what's your problem?" He asked dryly, turning around and not the least bit ashamed.

Her mask fell off in her panic as she covered her eyes. "Oh, god!"

She couldn't help it as she took a peek. "You really are beautiful."

The pillow hit her square in the face. "That was your only look. Now get out before I have to take care of my morning wood."

She was gone in seconds. "You're disgusting!"

"Yea, that's what I hear," He called back.

She was poking around what she assumed was the living room. There was no electricity noted though there were lights the floated around the place. Everything seemed to mimic humanity's touch of existence and then warped into another phase of magical existence. As such, she eyed the lamp that had no plug but when she clicked the line, it turned on.

"Are you a witch?" She asked him in a hushed voice when she sensed him behind her. Marcaria faced him as she repeatedly pulled the line, turning the light on and off repetitively until Momus was blinking with the click, click, click that sounded.

"No, it's not magic but I'll show you some if you don't fucking stop that!"

Her hand ducked behind her back sheepishly, as she gave him a small smile. His eyes narrowed.

"Remember what I said about you touching things you're not supposed to? Do it again and I'll break your fingers."

He turned sharply. "Come and get breakfast."

He was just out the door when he heard the now familiar click. He gritted his teeth as Marcaria was simply turning off the light, having ended on a click that kept the lamp on. She slunk out like a whipped dog, head down as she walked by him.

And unexpectedly giggled as Momus rolled his eyes.

The two ate in silence as Marcaria looked around with high interest. "It all looks so ritzy… like made for a God."

Momus stared at her blankly, slowly taking a bite of his pancake as he calmly stared her down.

"Or a guy… who has really rich tastes."

"It's in the mythology, sugar. Need more syrup?"

She reached for the container before frowning. "What mythology? Aren't you a spirit?" "Of sorts. I'm based on the Greek God, Momus, personification of satire and such."

Marcaria was the one this time to stare blankly at him, eating silently.

Momus sighed. "When mankind learned to use words and start their storytelling, the stories that they told came to exist. As such, I am the what the Greek referred in their mythology as Momus."

"Wow." Marcaria's eyes were huge. "So then, there are monsters too?"

"Yea, sure, humanity has come up with some -wonderful- things." He snorted as he took the syrup back and liberally poured it on the last of his pancakes.

"Want pancake with your syrup?" She giggled at her silly joke only to falter and drop her gaze at his cold stare. "You're a bundle of fun."

"That's how imagination works."

Marcaria looked up at his clipped tone. She wanted to say something but she then let the topic go.

"Once you're done, you're free to go. I'm not going to hold you hostage here." He finished his milk in a large gulp.

"Oh, okay. I.. I couldn't stay a little longer?"

"Why the Hell would you want to stick around?" Momus stood up and gathered his dishes. "It's my place, not yours. Go on home, Prank. This isn't your home."

"Yea," She watched him disappear through a swinging door. "Too bad I don't have a home… or even a good place to sleep."

She didn't expect him to have heard her as she pushed away from the breakfast table and left. She walked out of the building where the skies were darkening.

She ignored the weather and walked out onto the grass, heading toward the wheat. "Sure as Hell not looking forward to that. If I get lost forever, I'll know who to blame."

She felt wind pick up as lightning stuck nearby, making Marcaria jump in surprise.

The darkness licked forward as Marcaria felt the moment of terror come upon her.

"Be not afraid of the Night, Sprite, it is simply Nyx."

She wore a white toga, fashioned for women's wear, with the gold colored, strapped ankle sandals. Her hair and eyes were black, glittering with stardust and bright particles that throbbed like tiny heartbeats. Her hair was piled high upon her head, to then trail down in curls down her backside.

"Wow… you're gorgeous! You sort of remind me of Momus with that face structure."

"I'd hope so, I'm his mother."

"Really?" She felt a slight pull on her shirt and was tugged backwards to Momus's side.

"You don't usually collect pretty trinkets, Momus."

"What do you want, Mother?"

"To ask again. Are you willing to apologize to the Lord Almighty?"

"GOD?!"

Momus pinched Marcaria as she yelped and tugged away from his tight grip.

"The Almighty Zeus, Marcaria. Don't you know ANYTHING about mythology?"

"I would if I knew how to read!"

"You can't read?" Momus stared at her, aghast.

"Look, I'm from the late 1500s! I was lucky if my mother taught me about the birds and the bees! Not that I needed to be told about that… I'm not stupid."

Momus rolled his eyes as he snorted afterwards. "Sugar, you -are- stupid if you can't read."

Marcaria's eyes filled with tears. Well, the one that was visible did, no one else knew if the other one could cry. "Why the Hell are you a heartless bastard!? Fine, go fuck off and be on your own, Mr. High and Mighty? Oh, wait, should I bow to your sorry ass? FORGIVE FOR NOT DOING SO!"

She started for the wheat, swearing under her breath as the weather swum around her from above, darkening as lightning suddenly sounded and the clap of the thunder had her frozen in place, literally stuck in a half-way move.

"Oh… shit…" She whimpered as she carefully lowered the ground and the thunder erupted around her as she tore out of there, running into the wheat while her screams followed her behind.

"You going to let her go like that?" Nyx asked him, crossing her arms with a maternal look, despite that she looked as young as he did.

"I don't see why not."

"Without concentrating, she's going to get lost between this spatial hole and the mortal realm."

"Well, fuck." Momus stomped past his mother with a growl. "By the way, tell His Mightiness he can suck it."

"I think he already knows," Nyx said with a sigh and then disappeared like a shadow.

Momus found her, tucked away in a hollow tree, squished tightly as she covered her head with her arms and was literally trembling in fear.

"Hey."

Her scream made him momentarily deaf. He shook his head sharply. "By the Power, Marcaria, you got some fucking lungs on you!"

He shook his head again, the ringing fading away. He looked into her fear-filled eyes as he carefully offered a hand.

"What do you want?" Marcaria pushed into the tight space, leering away from him.

"To get you where you feel safe, moron. Obviously there are things that go boo in the night that terrify you."

"I've managed so far, go away."

He knew stubbornness, having that trait ten times over. He also knew lying. Which was why he dragged her out kicking and fighting.

In the ensuring movement, her mask once more fell off as he pinned her hard. She was forced to look back at him as she wilted with worry, trepidation, and fear.

"Stop looking like that," Momus snapped, tipping her fallen face to his. "You are not a monster! I've seen beautiful women with hearts of black, trust me, you're not on that list!"

He stood up, pulling her with him as he wrapped an arm around her. "You really have no home?"

"You heard me?" Her voice came out strained and embarrassed.

"Well, yea, not like you were whispering."

"Can I have my mask back?" She asked hoarsely. "I don't like being without it. It was a gift from Lune."

Momus snorted as he went to fish it out, thankfully it hadn't gone far this time. "You use it like a crutch."

"I give people nightmares! Didn't you notice? I HAVE NO EYE!"

"But the one you do have is beautiful."

Marcaria stuttered, completely taken aback. She never had anyone really comment on her. Well, at least not for the four hundred something years she'd been existing as a spirit and not a human.

She snatched the mask back as it was the only thing she could think of as she put it on her face gingerly.

She avoided his eyes as he waited, seemingly expecting something.

"Um… tha…thank you?" She mumbled.

"Where do you stay?"

"Anywhere I can. Not like I have family anymore."

Momus's eyes half-closed. She thought she saw sympathy but then his eyes opened wide again and he crossed his arms.

"I wasn't looking for you to feel bad for me. I was just stating a fact. You have a really pretty mom."

"Don't like talking about yourself, do you?"

"I don't like being stared at, it's uncomfortable."

And yet he wasn't deterred as he stared at her.

"Sooo…um. I'll just leave." She looked around, the weather, though not in sight due to the heavy and tall trees, seemed to have calmed down.

She was grasped by the collar as he dragged her behind him. Again, he didn't bother to look at her or say anything as she let herself be dragged, seeing her heels dug slight trailing hole as she wondered exactly what she'd gotten into.

"I really meant it, you know. Your mom's beautiful. I see where your good looks come from… and none of your attitude."

"I am the personification of satire, mockery, censure, and a hell of a lot of other wonderful traits that make me a dick."

"But that doesn't mean you have to follow that route!"

He didn't say anything more at this point and Marcaria felt like she had won something.

"Hey, can I call you Mo?"

"Why the Hell would you want to?"

"You call me Prank. I want to call you something too. Nothing like Dick or Asshole or Merde…"

"What the hell is Merde?" He couldn't quite grasp the French touch.

"Shit."

"No, you can't call me that. Only if I can call you whore."

She floundered in rage. "I AM NOT!"

"Are you sure? You got the right attitude!"

"And you're a playboy?"

"All the fucking Greek is! Mankind can't get enough of us fucking everything from animals, women, men, and children!"

She gagged.

"Tell me about it. The stories they come up with, it's fucking weird."

"So can I call you Mo?"

"I'll think on it."

"I'll take that as a yes. Am I staying with you?"

"As long as you shut up."

"Sooo.. I'm staying?"

"Shut up."

"But I want to know!"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!"


	3. Chapter 3

Rise of the Guardians

Arlecchino

Chapter 03

Marcaria was humming as she tied the shoes thoughtfully. Momus was in the comfortable armchair, fast asleep with a book to his chest. He looked rather cute and innocent in his sleep, which was vibrantly different when he was awake. Awake, he acted and moved like a angry old man, fully in a tantrum, and bossy to boot.

Of course, Marcaria was all about laughter. So that she was hanging out with someone the total opposite was confusing for her. And yet, Marcaria had effectively moved in with no issues save that he yelled a lot but it never seemed to be completely directed at her.

She finished as she then scooted underfoot and away from him. She took to the front door and rang the bell gleefully. She was giggling like a five-year-old as there was a thud.

"MARCARIA! What the fucking aye?" His face was flattened on the ground as he laid there when she ran back inside into the room.

"That's for putting the snake down my shirt."

"That was for putting a sign on my back that said 'hug me'."

"You didn't seem to mind it when I hugged you."

"I did mind it, damn it!"

"Whatever. You liked it, come on!"

He pushed up into a sitting position. His tail was undone, leaving his hair mussed over the back of his neck, draping forward in bits over his shoulders. He angrily began to undo his shoelaces, swearing venomously under his breath.

She studied him before she crossed her arms. "Didn't you find it funny?"

"Not when it's me!"

"Oh, you are bad! That's gotta go, Mo!"

"MOMUS!"

"Ah, ah, ah, sugar…" She added the last word pointedly, keeping his drawl on it.

They stared at each other before she tore out of there, him chasing her with a growl.

"Come on! You're no fun! Stop that!"

"I'm going to break your damn fingers, you little twit! Teach you to trick me!"

She laughed as she turned outside and in her pursuit, she looked behind her as she saw something spark in his eyes before she saw stars and great pain.

"Ow…" Her body fell away from the tree, the bark having cut against her skin. She fell backwards, whimpering.

"What'd you expect, you weren't paying attention!"

Momus toed her before taking her head in his hands, moving it carefully. "No broken neck."

"Can we get broken necks?"

"Really want to find out?" He asked dryly, still holding her head.

"No… I like my neck, thanks."

He smirked as she laughed, pointing at him. "Made you smile!"

"Smirk, sugar, far different." He stood up, taking her arm and pulling her with him. She winced as she started to limp inside.

"What's wrong with your ankle?"

"I spun on it. It'll be fine…" Marcaria looked up at the darkening skies. "Looks like visitors."

"Get inside and stay there."

Lightning cracked as she hurried on her injured ankle to get to the front. She managed, panting in both exhaustion and pain.

The woman was another beauty, though Marcaria would eventually learn that all of the Greek gods and goddesses were that way.

"Eris, lovely to see you. Did Mother send you?"

"No, I decided to take a peek. After all, someone's got to look after you."

"I think I'm doing just fine."

"Mother says you have a pretty trinket," Eris was a blond bombshell, clad in little and what she did wear, clung tightly. Marcaria was starting to think that being referred to as a 'pretty trinket' might be some veiled insult, though their tone didn't belay this.

"That's none of your business."

"Momus, Father will be very angry that you are not listening to him. He's allowing you this place but he does not want you to interact with the mortals."

"I am not a mortal!" Marcaria protested, still limping. "I am the spirit of Tomfoolery, representative of April Fools, and I have been around for over four hundred years!"

"Really? You're a Spirit? You seem… so… not the type."

"I am too! I make others laugh."

Eris crossed her arms. "Make me laugh then."

"It's not like that, I have to do silly things. You wouldn't get it."

"Of course not, no one would. I've never heard of such a useless being."

Marcaria spit out anger. "How dare you?! Do you know who chose me? The Man in the Moon! Lune! The great being!"

"Zeus is the great being, not some alien."

"He helps the world by making it a better place, to be protected and loved and so that humans can be safe!"

"Now I'm just getting bored," Eris turned toward Momus. "You really should apologize. You'll never get back in otherwise. I know how much you want back in."

"I don't want back in."

"Lying, brother, you are lying."

"I'm not, Eris. Why don't you take your blonde little head and go cause trouble elsewhere? I'm allergic to your apple, after all."

She glared at him as she turned in a huff. She paused and then turned to Marcaria. "A mask? My brother wears one, did you know? You can't see it but it's there all the same."

She waved to Marcaria. "You are a poor fool to follow in my brother's realm. He'll get bored of you and drive you away. That's how he always is. Don't come crying to us when he breaks your heart."

"Breaks my.. Now, wait a minute, I don't know what you're thinking but we are not…"

Eris left, leaving Marcaria glaring at the open space. "He's already trying to drive me away with his rudeness!"

She turned toward him. "You have a strange family."

"It's the mythology, it's all screwed up."

"Is it true you have a mask?"

"Not literally but figuratively."

"Why?"

Momus shrugged.

"Ah, so maybe it's something you need to find out?"

"Why would I want to?"

"I don't know, to break out of tradition? You can't be happy about being typecast as a dick."

"I've gotten used to myself. It's everyone else that has a damn problem." Momus started for inside. She limped off after him, wincing.

"Sprained. You shouldn't have been running."

"You were chasing me, I didn't have a choice."

"Could've let me caught you and punished you like I wanted to. Though, in the end, I still got what I wanted."

"For me to be hurt?!" She was hurt by that. "Excuse me," She forced by him through the door frame, hobbling to a east corridor to where she was residing in. She entered the room, wincing as she managed to the bed.

She carefully undid her shoe laces, though in the end, her ankle still throbbed. She managed to take it off without crying too much as she stared at how swollen it already was.

"How the Hell was I walking on it?" She wheezed past the pain, elevating her leg up with a pillow. She tried to rub the ankle but that only made her see stars of pain.

She laid back, sniffling. She wanted to get comfortable but the throbbing was distracting for her.

She sat up finally, giving up on trying to 'sleep it off'. She glared at her ankle. "I'm a Spirit, am I really supposed to be harmed here?"

The door thudded open as she screamed in surprise. Then she screamed at Momus. "Don't you know how to KNOCK!?"

Momus stared at her. "It's my house. I do what I want."

He had things in his arms. He set down the towels before disappearing into the bathroom. He emerged with the bowl steaming from the hot water.

The bowl was set on the dresser next to the bed as he soaked a towel, then carefully put it on her ankle.

"Next time, don't run."

"I wouldn't if you weren't so threatening."

He glanced at her, face unreadable.

"What?" She asked a little softly, feeling like she might've hit something.

"What?" He repeated, giving her an familiar cold stare. "Keep that on, I'll get you some pain meds."

"Thank you, Momus."

He didn't bother looking behind him as he left, closing the door as he spoke. "Thought it was Mo."

She stared at the closed door, conflicted. "Great, did he mean that or not?"

Being bedridden wasn't something in the cards for Marcaria. By the time she was allowed free, she was stir-crazy.

"Heading out to the mortal world, don't stay up!"

She tore off into the wheat only to reappear in seconds, getting into a violent sneezing fit. "Achoo! Achoo! Stupid.. ACHOO! Aller, achoo! GIES!"

She had to take off her mask, even that side of her face itched. She tried to scratch it but she hated dealing with the mauled side of her face.

"Ahhhh… it's so itchy!" She broke out into another sneezing fit. "Hey.. Wait…a… Achoo! SNEEZING POWDER!"

She swore up and down. "I thought. Achooo! There was something familiar… Achoo! MOMUS!"

He was inside, laughing softly to himself. Though he got what he wanted, she ended up staying around in the God's home. She washed herself before washing her mask, making plans of 'evil' to get back at Momus for tricking her.

She was watching the night sky slowly rise, awaiting the Man in the Moon. Unlike most spirits, Marcaria was always very chatty with the man she called Lune. Tonight was of no difference as the Man in the Moon started first.

She crossed her arms quickly, looking put out. "Well, yea, I probably should go out and make people laugh but people don't want my humor anymore. I'm worn out and I'm not even in a competition anymore. I can't make anyone laugh. I can't remember the last time I made humans genuinely laugh."

She sat down, dejected. "Maybe I'm just not needed anymore. I mean, I don't want to hurt others to make others laugh, where's the fun in that for all? That's not fair to the one that gets hurt. So.. I guess this means I'm out of a job."

She fiddled her fingers. "So, am I fired?" She asked the Man in the Moon shakily, looking terrified as she peeked up to the moon.

She waited only to hear silence. "Is that a yes?" She asked finally, pale. "Oh, god, I've been fired!" She staggered to her feet. "Oh, shit, shit, shit!" Her hands furiously patted her body. "I'm going to disappear!"

"You're not fired! I don't think he can get rid of you. Wouldn't he have gotten rid of the Boogeyman?"

She stared at Momus. "No. I mean, yea, he's a bad guy but he serves a purpose in a sense."

"To what? Terrify children with nightmares? Make them wet their beds? Cause mental and emotional trauma?" Momus was very livid. "That's bullshit."

"It's complicated. Our roles are all sort of complicated. We came from something and then are put into a next existence. Most of us don't lose their memories which often is what drives us to do what we do. The Boogeyman is scary but he lost things too. Haven't you lost anything that made you who you are now?"

Momus ran his hand through his hair. He elected to be confused. "Yea, I don't think about stuff like that. It's no matter to me."

Marcaria frowned at him. "Of course it is. You have feelings, don't you? You're like not a robot, a heartless mechanism? You still have a beating heart, even if you're made by the human's storytelling, you're still something living."

Momus turned away, looking like he wanted to end the conversation. Marcaria hurried after him, getting in front of him and stalling him in his tracks. "Don't you like something about yourself? Or think you can change?"

"No."

He tried to walk around her but she spread her arms out. His flash of anger had her suddenly thrown away from him, far and hard as she hit a tree backwards.

He was frozen, having realized what he'd done as she struggled to sit up. She was crying softly, unaware that she was actually crying before she staggered to her feet.

Her voice was hoarse. "I feel sorry for you. I just wanted to make your life a little brighter.. That's what I'm supposed to do.. But I guess I really am a failure."

She ran past him, sobbing as she disappeared into the wheat. This time, she found the exit with no problems, falling into a bright sunny, winter day. Her arms wrapped around herself tightly, already shivering.

"Oh, now I wish I could disappear." Her hands held to her head, already aching.

"You all right?"

Marcaria looked up, crying. Her hand pushed her mask back onto her face as she tried to look tough in front of the Guardian of Fun.

"Of course I am," She managed, standing up. She brushed her clothes, shivering tightly.

Jack was skeptical. He held his staff in his hand, running his free hand against the back of his neck. "You're freezing."

"I'm fine!" She snapped. "Go away! I don't need you, I don't need him, I don't need anyone but me! So go away!"

She turned and ran away from the confused boy. "What the Hell is wrong with that girl?"

Momus was storming around his home, hitting and kicking as he made things fall and break into pieces. He was growling like an animal, furious at himself for being an ass. And he couldn't seem to bring himself to break out of that rut and run after her like he knew he should.

But his image wouldn't let him. Set in such a woven story that his sole purpose seemed to hurt others, it wasn't something he wanted. What he never wanted but was deemed doomed to do so.

As such, he was leaving a wake of angry destruction before he finally screamed. Energy erupted around him, shattering everything around him. The hallway's walls were shattered outwards as the build shook on its foundation, the ceiling above about to crack and fall.

He was teleported out of the home by Nyx, who had automatically felt his anger swelling out and far from his own tethered spot in space.

"Why am I like this?" He screamed, power still radiating from him. "What purpose is this that I have to hurt every single thing!"

"Just because it's how we were dreamt, doesn't mean we have to be exact. Once away from paper, we become reality, we are real and we can change."

"Then why can't I?"

"It's all in your head, Momus. While we cannot change our fundamental basis, we aren't strictly tied to what our mythology is. That's when it's written. Now that we are real, in a sense, we don't have to do what we have to but what we want to."

Nxy crossed her arms. "She's now wandering in the deep snow, freezing to death and refusing to be helped because she doesn't want to be. You go to her, apologize for being an ass, and get her somewhere warm."

"Fine," He snarled before hitting his hand to his face, dragging himself to the wheat. "She's right, there's got to be an easier way."

She had stopped wandering, realizing she'd gotten lost. She had managed to drift away from the quaint town into the lands of nowhere, where the snow was piled high, the snow was falling hard, and she didn't see any sort of shelter.

"This wasn't the smartest thing I've done."

She took a few pulling steps to find herself tumbling down a hill. She was buried in snow, now feeling numb. She dug herself out frantically, coughing up snow.

There was sun but no warmth. She wasn't dressed for winter, she usually managed to find her way to where the weather was better but apparently, Momus's home opened up near Burgess, where it was the dead of winter.

"AUGH!" She screamed in frustration. "The only power I have is to make people laugh, not to fight the cold! If I die out here, I'll come back and haunt you all! I swear on my life!"

There was a sensation of something rolling over her like waves, the grew in strength until she craned her head backwards to look upward into Momus's eyes. She was still halfway buried in the snow as she gritted her teeth. "Don't need your help."

She was pulled out effortlessly, his grasp sending a sense of warmth of unfamiliarity that wrapped around her tightly. She automatically stopped shivering.

"Let's go," Momus said, turning away as they disappeared into a sense of melding. They appeared automatically in front of Momus's home, now having fixed itself.

He carefully put her on the ground. While the energy kept her warm, she was still soaked in snow and once he let go, the barrier of energy dispersed and she resumed shivering.

Her teeth were chattering as she felt faint. "I was only out for like ten minutes.."

"It was the dead of winter, you fell into six feet of snow," Momus didn't finish his sentence as he picked her up in his arms with a swoop.

"Hey, wait a.."

"Shut up."

She chattered as he took her to not her room but his.

"Hey, look, I don't come in here."

"My bathtub is more fitting."

He pushed the door open to the bathroom which was essentially a spa.

"Wow.."

"Yea." He put her down and started the water, the steam automatically pillowing upward as he turned and reached for her.

She shrieked when he tried to take off her wet shirt. "DO YOU MIND?!"

"Can you feel your fingers?"

"That doesn't mean you can cop a feel!"

"Stop fighting!"

It was a struggle but once he had the wet shirt off, he felt like he'd won. Until he turned to look at her chest. The mauling had been more than her face, there was gouges in her shoulder and down her chest, nearly to her breast and then there was a few streaked wounds just under the left breast, against the ribs.

"That rib.." Her voice was small, going to the rib just under her breast. "That broke inward and it went into my heart. I died then."

"You didn't when.. It was attacking you?"

"No…" Her eye was a haunted look. "It was so… I wasn't in my body then and I was watching the children run. I felt happy that they were safe but on another level, it was such a terrible pain. I get nightmares, time to time.."

Her left arm was trying to cover the obvious wounds. "I don't like to reveal myself. No one wants to see it, after all. Not even me."

"I'm sorry," He looked away. "I wasn't thinking.."

"It's fine. You weren't being mean, you just wanted to make me warm again." As if on cue, she started to chatter.

He pointed to the bath. "Get in."

She started for the warm water before he stuttered. "Got to take the rest off!"

"Oh, whoops."

She stared at him pointedly.

"What?" "I'm fine at this point so please shoo."

He seemed hesitant to leave but he took that imitative and left. She hurriedly undressed and then delved into the warm water.

"Ah, so much better."

She shrieked when Momus walked right back in. She watched him as he sat down next to the tub, back against the edge as he seemed to just meld into the silence.

She ran her hands lightly over the water, conflicted. She then suddenly smiled and began to flick at his head, water droplets landing on him. It took a moment before he seemed to realize it.

He turned to look over his shoulder. When he did, she shoved water into him as she burst out laughing.

He turned away before smiling slightly when she began to poke into her back.

"You're a child, Prank."

"A kid at heart, yea but I'm not a child," Marcaria pouted, delving back into the heat. She eyed her chest with annoyance.

"How can you look at me?"

"How can you look at me?"

She frowned. "There's nothing wrong with you."

"I threw you."

She faltered. "Oh, yea. I can't say 'water under the bridge' because that wasn't right."

"I'm sorry."

There was something in his voice that made her believe that.

"I can't make it up to you, for doing something so awful. I shouldn't have done it but… I'm not used to being fought against and more than that, I have a terrible, terrible temper. It's one of the reasons why I'm banished from Mt. Olympus."

He paused. "Well, that and insulting Zeus wasn't a good idea, even if I thought it was at the time."

"How so?"

"I insulted his children and how a bad father he had to be. Plus the whole sleeping with anything that moves."

"You are a mean-spirited person… so you say, though. I bet you can change."

"Am I forgiven?"

"You saw me in my full wounds, I think you are."

"How does your wound play into any of this?"

"I've never trusted anyone to see my face, let alone to my… chest."

"About to say breast? Because essentially, I didn't see it, just the bra."

"You still saw it!"

"Nice set."

Water was pooled heavily over his head as he dropped his head, laughing softly.

"Hey, I made you laugh!"

"Yea, you're not incapable of such," He stood up. "Take your time, I'll get dinner started."

"All right.. Thanks, Momus."

"Mo." And he was out the door, and she was left to relax and enjoy the setting of his bath.


	4. Chapter 4

Rise of the Guardians

Arlecchino

Chapter 04

She was fiddling in the gardens, and Momus has a very large set of gardens, all flourishing with life, and Marcaria kept pricking herself. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

She sucked on her thumb with irritation. "It's like being human all over again. I can hear my mother now, 'Marcaria, be gentle with the plants! They need all the love you can give!'"

She started to pluck at the weeds and then screamed as the sight of the unfamiliar bug crawling toward her.

Momus was walking outside, reading as he walked as he liked to move when he did anything, found himself face-planted to the ground as Marcaria hissed at him. "I'm not doing any more gardening unless you get rid of those freaky bugs!"

She picked up the book and flipped through the pages casually, as he put his chin on his hand, elbow resting on the ground. "I can't read this."

"You can't read at all!"

"I recognize English… kind of… these are weird, strange letters."

"It's Latin."

"Isn't that the really hard and unused language?"

"Yes but I can read it. Now give it back and get off me before I bite you in the ass!"

She straddled him. "What do I get if I get off?"

"Apparently, you were not listening. I don't bite you!"

"You don't bite at all."

He threw a hissy fit under her as she jumped off with a snicker.

"Mo, let's head on out in the world!"

"I'm fine, thanks. You go on without me."

"But it's much more fun with you. You know how to get me to get others to laugh."

"Only because of that I keep tripping you."

"It's physical humor. It exists."

"I'm not interested."

"Can you teach me to read?"

"Why?"

"You have a gigantic library and I get tired of looking at the tiny list of picture books you have. Why do you have those?"

"My mother gave me them in case I ever fathered a child."

"Have you?"

Momus gazed at her over the open book, frowning. "I don't know. Don't care, either."

"So you don't want kids?"

"Look, can we stop talking about me? I'm getting uncomfortable." He continued to stare pointedly at her.

"You want me to leave?" She thumbed to the house.

"No."

Again, his stare was getting to her. "I can't read faces."

"I thought you could read mine."

"You have a book covering it, for all I know, you could be plotting my demise."

"I couldn't, even if I wanted to," Momus said cheerfully, still looking over the book. Again, his stare struck her as she grew frustrated.

"Well? WHAT?!"

"You have something on your face."

She touched her good side. "It's not a creepy crawly, is it? Oh, god, is it a spider in my hair?!" Her fingers ran through her hair frantically. "It's much harder to find it when I have my hair in a French braid."

She caught him staring at her, this time the book down as she finally recognized the look. "I like my mask."

"I don't. Take it off."

"No!"

"Fine, then take off the shirt."

"WHAT FOR?"

"If I can't look into your beautiful face, I want to look at your beautiful breasts."

"I have the mauling there!"

"Fine, then. Take off the pants."

She gasped.

"Not for your front, for your ass."

Marcaria was glaring at him.

"You have to give me -something- to look at here."

"And why should I? What do I get out of it?"

"Could get you laid."

"Get me… laid? What's that supposed to mean?"

His eyebrow slowly lifted. "Do you spend ANY time with adults?"

"Can I consider you an adult?"

"Yes, I think you can."

"Then I spend plenty of time with adults."

"So basically I have to spell this out for you," He rested an arm on a bent knee, the book still in his hand. "To get laid is to have sex."

Her entire body turned red.

"Even your ears are red, that's adorable."

"I don't want sex!"

"Really?"

She turned into such a shade of red that he was starting to feel the heat from her.

"Judging from that look, I'd say…"

"Going!" She tore out of there, running into the wheat field as he laid back, watching upside down as she ran furiously away.

"She's cute."

"Mother, always a welcome to see you." He set himself up on his backend.

"How's your pretty little trinket?"

"Fine."

"Zeus has gotten word of her."

Instantly, Momus was on his feet. "He comes near her, I'll kill him."

"You can't stop him if he wants something."

"And if she doesn't want it, he'll force it. I will kill him."

Nyx looked at him. "Might help put him in better order if you apologized."

"I may have been cruel to say what I did but it wasn't a lie, now was it? Tell him to stay away from my trinket or else I will move Heaven and Hell to destroy him."

Momus turned away from his mother angrily. "Stupid old man, thinks he's so great, if he even thinks about it, I'll cut off his junk like he did with his father."

Nyx watched him hurry after Marcaria as she tapped her chin. She didn't bother turning. "What is it, Eris?"

"He's gotten to be no fun when she got around. Why is that mortal here?"

"She isn't a mortal, my dear. And we are the Greek mythology. We fall in love with anything."

"She's so hideous."

"No, she's not." Nyx looked to her daughter. "That's what he likes about her. She's beautiful. So few see it, when they only see the damages but she has a very sweet soul. Most likely why the Man in the Moon rose her to become a Spirit."

"She's still beneath him."

"Is she, now?" Nyx smiled slowly. "We may be Gods but we are born from the written words of mortals. If our legends are erased and or forgotten, we will no longer be. While her life will go on for as long as it exists, unable to leave unless they are ready to ascend to the heavens or back into mortality."

"So I ask, is she beneath him?" Nyx disappeared from Eris's sight as the daughter glowered in general.

"I think she is but…" Eris didn't bother finishing that as she, too, left.

Marcaria was swearing as she had forgotten that it was still winter. "Soooo cold!"

She was tossed a heavy coat. "At least you're wearing pants."

"I was gardening!"

"Was this after or before the scary bug?"

"Before, obviously."

She tied the coat on tightly, avoiding him. "Why'd you come chasing? Not going to say something stupid, are you?"

"I thought it was a compliment."

"I don't prefer the term 'sex', I prefer 'lovemaking'."

"Well, fine then. So you don't want lovemaking?"

"Are you in love with me?"

His smile wiped clean, put on the spot. "I reserve the right to never answer that."

The flash of hurt passed across her face as she turned and stormed off.

"You're not very good with women, are you?"

"Frost, I'm ten times better than you and any other living man save for my fellow Gods. Don't question my ability."

Momus stared down Jack. Jack shrugged. "She obviously likes you, for what reasons I haven't any idea. Hey, is she still mad at me?"

"She's pissed."

"Why?"

"Because her faith in her abilities has been shaking now that you're doing her job, being a Guardian and such."

"You know, the way you say 'Guardian', it's like it doesn't mean anything."

"Not to me, it does. Sorry, Frost, you're not the important one here. If you'll excuse me, I need to go put my foot up my ass again."

Jack winced as Momus left him in the snow. "Match made in…. wherever the Hell that guy comes from. Sheesh."

Marcaria entered Burgess with no problems, looking back to see her foot prints disappear into the snow. "It's kind of creepy when it does that."

She looked up into the skies, the sun falling down. There was the sound of laughter, as some of the town's kids were having a snowball fight. She melded easily into her child form, silent and solemn as she watched them play.

She wished she could join them. She bent down and tried to pick up some snow but it fell through her hand like she was a ghost. She always forgot that while she somewhat existed in reality when she was in this form, that is seen, she was never heard or touched let alone touch anything herself.

She sighed, watching them as she shuffled. She remembered, to this day, how much fun she would have with her siblings. By the time she was risen by the Man in the Moon, her family had scattered across the state and in the end, she could never find some of them. She remembered staying around her mother, who seemed as if she could never get over the loss of her second oldest and in the end, she hadn't. Her father had been stronger but she still saw him weep time to time, when no one else was around. It got to the point that she had left, feeling as if her own presence was making it worse.

So she would peek in time and again on her family. Eventually, the family bloodline thinned and she was lost in time, spending a great deal of it alone, traveling alone. She eventually made her way to America, in the seventeen hundreds and resided there in many places. She stood in the lines of war, bringing soft and hidden laughter in such dark times. There had been many dark times but now, lately, those dark times were either something made to bolster something or she simply couldn't reach anyone anymore with her jokes and pranks.

She looked on, the children laughing as their parents, in the distance from their homes, called to their young ones as everyone said goodbye. Soon, she was left alone, standing and seemingly invisible.

"Prank?"

"Sometimes I wish I could be human again.. It's lonely sometimes, when you're never seen, never heard, never touched. I remember how when I was just a little kid, my mother would sing me to sleep, stroking my hair back as she smiled. Mother wasn't considered pretty by many but she had the most beautiful smile. Everyone said that I inherited it."

She laughed, choking. She turned, melding back into her original form. "Aren't you lonely, Momus? Or do Gods not feel such pain?"

She met his gaze with little problem. She was sad looking, tears still glimmering in her eye.

He sighed and then took off her mask. "Of course we do. We just are too stubborn and stupid to admit it. Look, you're cold, I'm not, let's go."

"You're shivering."

"I am not."

She glared at him.

"Look, let's not talk about who is in denial and who isn't cold. Let's just go home."

She turned pink before she reached for her mask only to have him tuck it into his shirt. "I want that back."

"Hmmmm… no."

She stomped after him as they disappeared into shadows and onto the grass of the lawn.

"Hey, we skipped the wheat."

"Yea, I fixed up the entrance a little for us. Anyone else will still find a brick wall but we won't. Unless you piss me off or something."

She glared at him. "I want my mask back."

"Again. No."

"Pretty please?" She implored, hands clasped, shaking as she looked up at him. He was watching over his shoulder before he smirked.

"All right. For a price."

He turned around, crossing his arms. "A kiss."

She frowned. "On the cheek?"

"No."

"The.. Err…. Hand?"

"Chivalrous but again, no."

She was sweating slightly. "I, uh, never kissed anyone. Not even my betrothed."

"Really?"

"Yea, well, we didn't believe in that… or anything else."

"Like foreplay?"

"Look, can we JUST focus on the damn kiss!?"

"I'm not the one who changed the subject."

"I didn't change anything! Now give me my mask!"

Momus took it out of his shirt and held it high above him. As she was just about five feet, he was over six feet, it seemed like climbing a steep mountain at this point for Marcaria.

She lunged anyways as he danced away, laughing. "Give me! Give me! I want it back!"

"Ah, ah, ah. For a price of a kiss!"

"What kind of kiss?" She asked, frustrated. She perked up. " A peck."

"No."

"Why not!?"

"Don't you want a little passion?"

She flushed at him. "Oh, come on."

"Never even with your betrothed?"

"I didn't love my betrothed!"

"So you love me?"

"I… FINE! A goddamn kiss if it'll shut you up!"

"You mean shut us both up."

Marcaria crossed her arms and then closed her eyes and puckered up.

"You look ridiculous."

She opened an eye. "You want to kiss or not?"

Marcaria's eyes flew open when he cupped her face. "You're so small compared to me. Kind of like that. Gives me more control."

"I can still kick you in the balls, buddy. I'm not incapable of fighting back."

Something flashed in his eyes. "Damn straight. You keep anyone you want off of your person and anything happens, I'll come to your rescue."

In her confusion, he took advantage and kissed her. He knew exactly what he wanted too as in moments, she was left with no air and a great deal of heat in between her legs and a need to fall into his arms.

Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, as much as she could reach him. He pulled back, his own breath trapped in his throat.

"Whoa, dizzy," He set her back on her feet. She looked utterly lost and confused when he stepped back.

"Did… did I do something wrong?"

"No, no." He patted her head.

She glared at him.

"Ahem, sorry. Here," He handed her mask to her.

"Why do you always want it off?"

"Because one cannot see full beauty when it is half-hidden."

Marcaria turned red. "So when do you answer questions when you don't want to?"

"When I'm comfortable with it. I may never be comfortable. Ever."

"Ah. So you'd have sex but not lovemaking? It's my understanding that one is just animal rutting and the other tender emotion."

"I sort of fall in the middle, depending on my mood."

"Do you have a girl friend?"

"Gods do don't girl friends. We take what we want."

Her gaze met his.

"Not that I ever had to do so. Or ever would.." He didn't know what else to say to make her look more at ease.

"What's got you worried that I might be hurt?"

"You really can read me. The Almighty had gotten word of your attention upon me."

"Say it in English. My English."

"He's interested in you and if he wants you, he'll take you."

Her face turned white.

"Yea, see, that's why you're never leaving my side."

"He'd really do that?"

"Yea, he would. A lot of the Gods and even Goddesses would. We kind of have that 'we are superior and deserving of all that we crave' thing."

"That blows chunks!"

"That blows…" Momus looked confused and then shrugged.

"So, why wouldn't you?"

"Why wouldn't I just rape someone?"

"Uh… should've worded that a little nicer," She smiled a little weakly.

"I don't have to rape anyone to sleep with them. I bet if I got a bottle of alcohol in you, you'd be all over me."

"Why would you want me drunk? Don't you want me completely willing?"

Momus grinned. "So you're going to take up the offer?"

"NO!"

He winced as he held his ears. "Ow. That was a joke, laugh."

"That's not funny!"

"So what would it take to get you in bed?"

"It's called courting."

"I don't court."

"What do you do?"

He straightened, posed dramatically, and his entire body alighted, shimmering with the power of a God.

She stared at him. "How is that impressive?"

"Fine." He unzipped his pants.

"Momus, stop that!"

"What else would impress you?"

"Chivalry! Not vulgar actions!"

"Seriously? Isn't that a little boring?"

"Zip up your goddamn pants!" Marcaria hissed.

"No."

She glared as she took the zipper and redid it, feeling it go over something she kind of wish it hadn't. Momus didn't make a sound, just turned pale.

"I'd say sorry but you kind of deserve that."

"Fine." He wheezed, his voice slightly high-pitched. "I'm going to go inside for a while. You better not come in for the rest of the day or else."

"You wouldn't.."

"Zip up my pants, yes, I got that!" Momus hissed.

He turned around awkwardly.

"I'm sort of sorry."

"No, you're not. I will get you back."

"Whenever you want. Just as long as you don't force yourself on me."

"I don't do that!"


	5. Chapter 5

Rise of the Guardians

Arlecchino

Chapter 05

Marcaria was out in the sun, having found her way into Hawaii. She was absolutely delighted because she was starting to get sick of the snow, cold, and dark, lonely nights.

"Thank Lune I didn't say that out loud," Marcaria muttered.

"Something about dark, lonely nights?"

Marcaria gritted her teeth. "Damn. I did say it out loud."

Momus was dressed in very little. Just a pair of skimpy swimmer's trunks that was tied just lightly enough to hang off his waist.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Marcaria asked wearily.

"It's Hawaii. Let's go swimming. I know you're wearing a bathing suit."

"Of course you do! You made me put it on!"

"Let's go, let's go, let's go! Take it off! Hey, look, a nude beach!"

"MOMUS, NO!"

It was too late as he tore toward it, undressing the one bit of clothing as she covered her eye. "Oh, god, oh, god, oh, god.."

She fumbled after him, unable to uncover her eye completely. She'd peek and shriek as various women and men walked by, young and old, fat and thin, handsome and some very disturbing. She could see his back end and remembered he liked to sleep in the nude too.

"Geez, he's so comfortable and I'm.." She stared down at her layers of summer wear. "Suppose I should take it off…"

She undressed to her bathing suit, a simple one-piece black hued swimming wear.

"Take it off! Take it off! Take it off!"

Momus was near by, chanting with obvious excitement.

And it was actually very obvious.

"MOMUS! For God's sake, put yourself down!"

He groaned and crossed his arms.

"Not that, your… augh, why am I looking?!" Marcaria turned away in angst. "Geez."

"Come on, it's a nude beach!"

"And see how much control the other men have?! Where's yours?"

"I hide nothing," He put his fists on his hips, jutting his hips.

She shrieked and tore away from him.

"Kind of feel insulted right now," Momus muttered. "But what can you do with an introvert?"

He found her, back in his shorts and carrying her outerwear. She was hiding under the shade of a series of palm trees, watching the water.

"Soothing?"

"Actually, yea. Where I was born, we had no water like this. Not even that many of streams."

She looked up at him. "Thank you for putting your shorts back on. You realize I was the only one that could see you, right?"

"No, of course not. I wanted the whole world to see me."

"But it's not seeing you!"

"You're not very smart, are you? I was being sarcastic, Prank."

"Whatever," She turned away and then turned back. "I want my clothes back."

"Give me the mask," Momus put her clothes behind him.

She shoved upward and stomped off as he followed after her. Normally, he didn't bother with trailing after her but as it was Hawaii and he absolutely loved the paradise, he was willing to do this.

Also for other various reasons that he never brought up. But he sure did enjoy teasing the Hell out of Marcaria.

She came across a beach swarming with kids. She tiptoed toward one as the little girl was in the shallow waters, not paying any attention to her friends as she watched the waters move.

Marcaria playfully splashed her, giggling like mad. The little girl perked up and turned toward her friends. "Hey, who splashed me?!" She giggled and began to splash her closest friend and in seconds, the small group was running around and having a great deal of fun.

Marcaria came across a few teens, two girls and a younger guy. The two girls were chatting off each other's ears while the younger boy, who was the little brother to one of the girls, looked like he wanted to do something but not by himself.

Marcaria kicked a beach ball to his feet as he took it in and then grinned. He turned toward the others and raised it eagerly.

For a moment, the sister was looking irritated but Marcaria tapped her shoulder, giggling as her playfulness washed over the girl and her frown melted into a smile. The three tore off, playing catch.

Marcaria grinned, crossing her arms.

"That's great but what about the adults?"

"I can't reach them. Not anymore," Marcaria didn't bother turning around.

Momus frowned. "Oh, come on, you're the spirit of the April Fools'. Go make them laugh."

"I can't, Mo. They're rarely sensitive like children are anymore. Hell, sometimes the kids aren't even sensitive. They're closed off, too grown up. And it's even harder to reach them when they're depressed or angry. It's ten times harder, in fact. If there was a war or some sort of dangerous fight, maybe I'd be able to make them happy for just a moment but nowadays, people are just soo… closed minded."

"So what you're saying is that you're not going to try?"

"Look, I know how to do my job and the limits it has."

"Yea but from what you say, your limits never used to be this bad. Why not take off the mask?"

"No! What is with you and the damn mask?"

"People won't see the whole picture, Prank. Come on, take it off. They can't see you anyways, right?"

Marcaria wasn't willing to take the mask off, simply because she had worn it for so long, it was second nature to her. That and even though she rarely was around mirrors, she did not want to catch her own reflection. She turned away from him, spying a baby watching her with big, bright eyes. He was in the baby carriage while the mother was gently rocking it, thinking her baby was asleep.

"You are adorable," Marcaria approached eagerly. "You remind me of my brothers. I remember when they were this tiny," She reached a finger out as the baby grasped it. The baby was laughing louder now as the mother tried to shush it into sleep.

"Now, now, dear, fall asleep. It's nap time."

"Heh, sometimes babies just don't want to listen," Marcaria didn't see Momus until it was too late, her mask taken from her as she froze as the baby's laugher cut off.

And just as quickly, his screams and cries filled the air as she staggered back from the harsh reaction to her mauling.

Tears filled her eye as the baby was lifted into the mother's arms who began to comfort her. The baby clung tightly to the mother, terrified as it looked to Marcaria with big, frightened eyes.

Marcaria watched as the mother hurriedly moved away, still comforting her little one.

Marcaria touched her ruined side gingerly. Her eye was leaking heavily as pain laced through her chest and heart.

"Give it back." Her voice was low, hoarse as she was instantly given the mask. She put it on and began to walk away from Momus, without glancing back.

He followed her, feeling like a dick but he had sort of expected that reaction from both the baby and herself. He had an idea of why the baby had reacted and while he wanted to have a full-blown conversation with the Spirit of Tomfoolery, he knew now was not the time and it might be a long while before he could do anything.

"I'm sorry."

"Shut up."

"No, Marcaria, I really am," He grasped her arm only to find her free hand striking him across the face.

"See how they react when I have it off? What they see is a monster! A MONSTER! The mask makes me look funny, silly even but no one can stand to look at this! Not even me and you'd think centuries of looking like some freak would desensitize me."

"Stop asking me to take it off. I shouldn't ever be doing that," She turned away angrily only to find her mask suddenly yanked off. "What did I just…say?"

She ended on a question as he turned and threw it far away from her. She screamed and tore after it only to be tackled by Momus.

"Why did you do that?" She sobbed out. "Get it back! Get it back!"

"No, Marcaria! You do not need to hide!"

"Of course I do, you dip shit!"

She kicked at his chest, shoving away as she managed to her feet, struggling to keep her balance as she took off in a dead run.

It was floating away in the waters as she nosedived and thrashed around. It suddenly occurred to Momus that it looked like Marcaria didn't know how to swim.

When she started to gurgle and choke, he ran into the water and swum toward her. She was floundering, struggling to her mask as he dove under her and came out with the mask in his hand. He managed to grasp Marcaria and dragged her back to the shore.

She gurgled, sputtered, and spewed out ocean water. "Oh, god, it burns! It burns!"

She spat angrily. "It's so damn salty!"

Marcaria glared at Momus. "I'm not going to thank you. You threw that on purpose!"

"Yes, but I wouldn't want you to drown."

"I could swim!"

"Seriously? Seriously!?"

"Why did you throw my mask away? It's my only security!"

"You don't need it!"

"Did you not see that baby?"

They were screaming at each other, both of them furious though for entirely different reasons.

"Marcaria. You are a beautiful.."

"Oh, shove it up your fucking ass, Mr. High and Mighty! You say all that you want and you don't have to do shit to prove it!"

She began to look around angrily. "Take me home, now, Momus!"

"Fine," He grasped her arm tightly, dragging her behind him as he delved into a tiny shadow, the duo arriving in his sanctuary with ease. She yanked away from him and stormed off toward the home.

Momus gritted his teeth and started to stalk after her.

Marcaria had entered the home only to find her back pressed against the wall and Momus kissing her none too gently. She bit in fright and shoved him away. "What the Hell are you doing?"

"You want me to prove it, right? Then let me.."

"Sleep with me? I don't do it like that! I want to be in love and loved before I even think about doing.. Any of what you do without any regret or care!"

"I care very much about who I spend time with and who I sleep with. I'm very careful about it."

"Then what the Hell would you want from me? Just to prove that you think I'm beautiful? Sex won't prove anything! Just that you have a stupid itch and you need to find your own goddamn relief!"

"That's not it at all! Hey, get back here!" He shouted as she tried to walk away. "What do you want me to do?!"

"Stop telling me lies!"

"But they're not lies, you stubborn bitch! I find you extremely attractive and if I didn't speak goddamn riddles all the time and actually answered questions, you might actually believe me instead of thinking I was pulling smoke out of my ass!"

She started upstairs as he followed her. "You just don't believe me because no one else has ever told you that you're beautiful. Don't you want to be to be wanted, to be desired and needed? Because that's how I…"

He froze at that, realizing how deeply he was about to be exposed. "Fine, I'll just find some other way."

He went back down the stairs, grumbling darkly as she watched him and then stormed into her own room.

Or at least, through the door. She found herself suddenly somewhere else and it was a shock to her system.

"Well, fuck, did he open a portal or something? It's pretty here but sure as hell isn't going to get me to open my legs," Marcaria said darkly.

"Good day, little thing."

She jumped at the new voice. It was very masculine, deep, husky, with just the right amount of allure to it. The very tall, very broad shouldered man appeared, his long white hair elegant and refined, much how the rest of him was. With eyes as blue as the skies, skin as kissed by the sun, and dressed in a very bare toga and bare-footed, he was quite the sight.

"Listen, I'm getting tired of Gods right now. If you just send me back to Momus…"

"I'm afraid I won't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I won't. I don't want to thus you are to stay here. I just wanted to see what he saw in you."

"Something akin to a whore, no doubt," She muttered darkly. "Wait, who the Hell are you?"

"I am the Almighty, I am the Father, I am the King of the Gods, Zeus." He bowed with a great deal of flourish. "At your service."

'Funny,' Came her thought. 'Doesn't seem like a bad guy. What's Momus's deal with him again?'

"So, why am I here?"

"Why, for me, my dear. I had to meet you, see what drew the ire-driven fool to change his ways. I thought you might be magic, for I had heard you made him laugh. Something even his mother couldn't do, with his black heart."

"He doesn't have a black heart!" Marcaria protested. "If anything, he's misunderstood. He's not a bad guy."

"He dare insult me."

"But he said what he said was true. That you sleep with anything you want to."

Zeus's smile slipped. "I see. Is that how he trained you?"

"No, it what's he said. I trust what he says, he never lies. If he can't say it, he won't say it."

"I am the Almighty, I can have what I want. He's just jealous that I can get everything that he cannot."

His hand pulled on a bang. "I don't really care for you, you're certainly not my type. But I demand an apology for his actions and if he will not give it to me, I'll just get it from you."

His hand dropped to her shoulder and she reacted, slapping him.

Only to find it had no effect whatsoever.

"What was that, a pat? Try again, honey," His smile became a leer.

"Starting to see why he doesn't like you. No one would," Marcaria reached in vain for her mask as he tossed it over his shoulder.

"That takes some getting used to. Good thing I won't have to," Zeus said cheerfully, hands grasping her forearms with inhumane power. His entire body seemed to flex and he glowed with a bright, celestial power.

"If you think that's impressing me," Marcaria snarled only to find his tongue down her throat. She bit down hard and his forehead slammed into her, sending her into a daze as he dropped her like a ton of bricks.

Fingers rudely worked over her clothing, down to her swimwear and she was too dizzy to do anything at the moment. When fingers found her and tried to stretch her, she panicked and screamed, fingers cutting across his face as he snarled at her, no longer the handsome man but a monster.

"Don't touch me, you sick bastard!" She went animalistic, clawing and striking him only to find her pinned on her front, fingers ripping her bathing suit off her buttocks.

"MOMUS!"

"He's not going to save you, dear."

There was a sound of a massive thud and then Zeus toppled off, out for the moment.

"Not save you, my ass. I may be pissed off at her but you touch her, I kill you."

Momus stood over him as she flipped around, face red as she crossed her legs tightly.

"Is he dead?"

"Hell, no." He ignored her protests as he hefted her into his arms. His grip was tight and unforgiving as he melded into another shadow and arrived in the yard.

"Look, I wasn't doing anything to entice him. He scared the daylights out of me!"

"Of course he would. He scares everyone if he can't get his way."

He carried her all the way upstairs.

"It's really uncomfortable with your hand on my ass," Marcaria said into his shirt. She then shrieked. "Don't wiggle the fingers!"

"Just checking to see if you're ticklish."

"A while ago, was that why you warned me to fight?"

"Yes. My mother warned me and I said I wouldn't let him near you. I rebuilt the barriers and will do more of it when you're settled. No way in Hell he'll get in without going through a labyrinth with no end."

He set her down on his bed.

"I'm not in my room."

"Sorry, force of habit. Be right back." He turned away and then turned back. "Stay. I mean it. Stay."

He came in with some of her clothing. He then politely turned away.

"He has my mask."

"Well, you don't need it."

"I had that mask since I was risen. Lune gave it to me."

"I'm sorry. There'll be no way for me to get it back, Marcaria."

Her hands slowly picked up her clothing. "It's all right, I guess. You don't mind looking at me."

"I love looking at you."

She looked up in surprise at his back. She then began to redress, wiggling. She was wincing as her forearms ached deeply. Bruises were already forming as she began to feel sick.

"What's wrong?" Momus was looking over his shoulder, with a slight peek. "Marcaria?"

"Nothing," Her voice couldn't quite form as she finished dressing, her hands pulling on her shirt in panic. Her chest was on fire as she suddenly realized how close that had been of a call and remembered his rude fingers and rude tongue.

"Marcaria?"

She found herself throwing up all over his floor as she nearly fell forward. She was hurriedly taken to the bathroom where she lost everything else into the toilet.

She was sobbing half-way, frantic and still in panic mode.

"Shhh, shhh.." He rubbed her back gently. "It's all right now, you're safe now."

"He.. Oh god, he… touched me! I never felt so revolted!" She heaved on an empty stomach. "And his tongue.. Like a snake! I taste blood, though.."

"Did you bite?"

"Fuck yea, I did!" She giggled through her tears. "Oh god, he won't get to me again, will he? He's got to be pissed."

"You're safe with me."

"He made a portal through my room," She hissed.

"And I fixed the barriers to make it impossible for him to enter."

Her head rested on the toilet rim.

"I know you got dressed but I think a bath would help you."

"Shower. Cold shower."

"All right, then."

She rested against the toilet, waiting as she heard him start the water. When she realized he wasn't leaving the room, she glared at him.

"What?"

"I need you to leave."

"Yea, not happening."

"Why not?!"

Momus couldn't really answer as he shrugged at her.

She glowered as she tore off her clothing in rage and then dove into the hard-flowing water. She gave a high pitched shriek. "Holy Hell, that's cold!"

Silence then ensured.

Momus shuffled, feeling awkward. He still refused to leave the bathroom. "You all right?"

"Yea."

He gave in and peeked in on her, seeing her sitting on the bottom of the tub, curled tightly. It took a moment before he had delved into the cold, clad in nothing as he wrapped arms around her.

"You're fine."

She sniffled and dropped her gaze. "Mo…"

"Yes?" His voice was gentle.

"Where the HELL ARE YOUR PANTS?!"

"I don't like heavy clothing."

"That's no excuse!" She whipped her head up to glare at him. "At least you're not boasting." She muttered.

He turned the water off. "How the Hell can I boast in this cold?"

Momus helped her out of the shower and threw a towel in her face. "I'll be outside."

Momus winced once outside, unable to fully control his body. He swore and danced around to find some sort of control, not wanting to freak out Marcaria. He may be a representative of a God but he was also a man.

And one who got a full look of a naked woman. His head was thudding against the wall when she walked out in her clothes.

She winced at the sight of the floor. "Sorry. Want me to clean that up? Um… why are you doing that and why aren't you dressed?"

"I'm comfortable in my skin. That and I'm sort of distracted. No, you don't have to clean that up," Momus butted in, waving a hand and watching it disappear.

"That's not fair."

"Look, my realm, my rules. I do things as quickly as possible."

He was hovering over her unintentionally.

"Umm… you're a little close," She told his feet.

His hand rubbed his nape as she walked around him.

"I'm going to bed early," She kept her gaze on the floor. "Thank you, Momus."

Momus sighed as he fell back on the bed. "Well, sleep will be good."

It was late when he felt movement and heard the sound of shuffling. He was poked in his shoulder anxiously.

"Mo! Mo!"

"What?" Momus asked groggily. He automatically lifted the blanket. "Come.. On.."

He wheezed on that last word, arms wrapped tightly around his chest.

He was thoroughly engulfed in her grasp, her ribs pressed against his side, knees against his thigh and one free arm across his chest with the other one still trying to find its place.

It took some maneuvering before they found a way to lay together where Momus didn't feel like a trapped animal and Marcaria had the comfort of a warm body.

When morning came, Marcaria awoke as if there had been no terrifying event. Until she found that she was wrapped gently in strong arms and recognized Momus's scent up close. She shifted and managed to turn around to feel him pull back and sit up with a yawn.

"Sorry."

"For what? Best night I ever had."

Her gaze made him suddenly snicker. "No, Prank, nothing happened. I just slept well and judging by your snoring, so did you."

Her face turned red as she sat up. The blanket fell away from his body, revealing that again, she'd slept with him naked.

"You always sleep like that?"

"Always. Clothing can be restrictive."

"I don't see much of a response," Marcaria's voice was low. "Not that I'm complaining or anything.."

Fingers grasped her wrist as she half-slunk out.

"Give me a chance and I could show you a response."

Marcaria looked up at him. "For what price?"

He looked confused. "For me."

"What?" Now she was confused.

Momus didn't say anything and she realized he couldn't really say why or what.

She smiled suddenly and leaned over to give him a soft and swift peck on the lips. "You're adorable."

"Wait a minute, you're the one here who's the virgin! Don't you dare act like that in front of me, all demure and coy and shit.. .hey, are you listening?"

His indignant cries fell on deaf ears as she cheerfully hopped out of the room, giggling like a fool.

He settled back and then smirked, a little smug.

It then hit him. "Barriers, nobody's going to get in." He stood up. "First, bathroom."

He walked awkwardly toward it. "It was just a single damn kiss. Why am I this fucking hard?"

"Oh, right, I'm not exactly getting what I want… well, can't really say that, that's a lie as I am getting what I want."

He stopped just out of the bathroom. "Fuck. What's going on with me?"

He remembered his mother and her words that just because they were made by stories, didn't tether them to the legends. They were essentially living and they could change.

"Never thought I'd want to change," He realized this. He was just so used to being a dick all the time that he didn't realize he could be nice.

Well, for certain people. He wasn't going to change completely. He generally liked how he was when he wasn't hurting people's feelings or heads.


	6. Chapter 6

Rise of the Guardians

Arlecchino

Chapter Six

Marcaria had her tongue sticking out as she carefully painted the handmade mask only to find her hand slipping and the lips became clownish. "Crap. This is my fourth time at this!" She threw the mask aside in frustration.

Momus was behind her, doing a exotic dance. She was pointedly ignoring him as he'd been trying to put his moves on her, in very obvious ways.

"What you need is a pole," Marcaria said, still with her back to him. She felt the sense of something that she recognized as Momus creating something as she glared out at the wheat, gently moving with the warm wind. "Take it away!"

He was halfway around the pole and became disappointed as he made it disappear. "Well, you're no fun."

She stared at the material in front of her. "I can't make one! That mask was more than what protected me, it was the second gift from Lune! I valued it above all other things. Well, except for my memories and even those aren't as clear as they used to be."

Momus sighed, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You don't need the damn mask."

"I might feel better if -someone- wasn't trying to bed me!"

"I thought I was being quite charming."

"Try the God way again, maybe that'll work."

Her perked up. "Really?" He struck an alluring pose, his body turning to light as her gaze dropped down.

"Why are your hips extra shiny?"

"All the more to get your attention. And it worked," He snickered.

"And you're sure you can't get my mask back?"

"Yea, I kind of want to let Zeus Almighty chill for a while. He's pissed enough already."

"For what, the insult or bashing of his head?"

"No, for taking what he wants."

Marcaria winced. "I can't ever leave, now can I?"

"There'll be some sort of solution, I'm sure…" Momus turned away slowly, looking up as the shadow fell upon the ground. It formed into the beautiful Nyx.

"Mother, lovely to see you."

"Hi, there." Marcaria waved a little shyly. Momus was by far easier to deal with as his personality was much like hers. Nyx and in respective, her daughter Eris, were a little difficult to deal with. Not that they were bad people but they were very mature.

Nyx enveloped her in a surprise hug. "How is my daughter?"

"I'm not your kid," Marcaria's voice was muffled with her head in the other's toga dress.

"No but you are Momus's which makes you family." Nyx patted on her head affectionately.

"What are you doing here, Mother?"

"I wanted to see how well you were doing and how powerful your barriers are. I normally don't interfere with my children's lives but as Marcaria is outside our boundaries, it is not right for Zeus to think he can overstep the Man in the Moon."

"You know about the Man in the Moon?" Marcaria managed to get out of the other woman's arms.

"Of course. We all do. He was here first, in the times of creation and then we watched him as he performed his miracles. He picks very special people to do very special things."

"Yea but Jack is now doing my job."

"It may seem like that but the April Fools is still celebrated. Just because you fall into obscurity, doesn't mean that you are forgotten. We still linger and live because our influence is upon all that we have. You are the one who brings laughter when you can't see it or feel it. You don't have to interact with people, to make them play. You give them a moment to find time to relax and be inspired to laugh. In the darkest of nights, in moments of despair, a gentle joke or a silly trick reminds us that while we grow up and become adults, inside of us there is a part of us that remains a child."

"I don't see you comforting me in my times of need," Momus was complaining behind the two women.

"That's because while you do stupid things, you're at least honest about it."

"Suppose I'll just take that."

"Now, you, my dear, are a valuable person. And under the protection of the Moon." They turned to the skies, the sun slowly falling. "He even appears where we exist, because he is greatly powerful. He is a kind thing but he will protect what he has and you are under his jurisdiction."

"You mean after me."

Nyx ignored Momus pointedly. "The next time you fall under that situation, call upon the Moon to help you."

"He only appears at night!"

"There are a few times when he lingers in the day. I do admit that the day would be hard to fend but Zeus is predictable. He wants to take things where he can shine so brightly, that the stars themselves weep with jealousy."

Momus was starting to grumble.

Marcaria smirked. "He hates not being the center of the attention."

"I remember when he was little, it was cute. Now he's just a big brat."

"That's it, I'm gone. Let me know when you women are done clucking."

He took a few steps and shrieked when his system was shocked by his mother's power. "Don't do that! I'm a grown man and I don't need to be punished!"

"Unless you ask for it, right?" Marcaria couldn't help but quip, turning red at the sexual joke.

His mouth opened and then closed, turning sharply as he hissed and stormed off.

"Be careful. He just might," Nyx winked at her. "The barriers have been strengthened as I have added my own protection. In the end, however, Zeus must be brought to the Moon for him to leave you alone for he will hunt you down now that you have both refused him and that Momus bashed his head in. Again."

"He did it before?"

"About seven times."

Marcaria blinked. "How does Momus get the best of him?"

"Zeus has a terrible temper. He can't think when enraged." Nyx shrugged. "I'm surprised he didn't kick Momus out of Olympus after the third time like he said he was going to do."

Marcaria giggled. "Did he like Momus?"

"No one liked Momus. He was an ass. He insulted anyone around him, pissed off the important gods, started battles between them, and then sat around with popcorn, laughing his ass off."

"You liked him."

"I love Momus. I don't like him at all. Well, not before. Now he seems… different."

"He's been trying to.. Um…" Marcaria coughed nervously.

"Bed you? Why not?"

Marcaria looked embarrassed. "Well, for one, I haven't exactly done that before.. Even with my betrothed, it's just not what we did back then.. And secondly.."

Her fingers wiggled together. "I don't want it to be a mistake. I mean, you all have… well.. Flings right? What if I was just a passing fancy?"

"You're not a passing fancy. You make him happy. No one has ever done that for him. He won't let you go."

Marcaria thought on it. "I like that notion."

"So how are his advances?"

"Well, after I told him after the more subtle hints that I didn't understand exactly what he wanted, he kind of took off his pants for me."

Marcaria sighed. "I then screamed and locked myself in my room. I told him if he keeps flashing me, I'm going to rip off his dick."

"And?"

Marcaria's eyes darkened. "He keeps doing it and then runs away like a little boy with a bag of stolen candy, laughing at me."

"Why not flash him back? Trust me, if you fight back the same way he does, he might become uncomfortable."

"Hmmm…" Marcaria tapped her chin. "I'll think about it."

Nyx patted her shoulder and then disappeared into a wisp.

Marcaria entered the home and looked to the ground as she followed the trail of red rose petals. "Great, now he's turning romantic."

He was in the hallway, plucking a rose. "I kick his ass." He plucked a petal. "I really kick his ass." Another one fell to the ground. "I kick his ass."

Marcaria was a little disappointed. "Oh. Well, I thought you were doing something sweet?"

"Kicking Zeus's ass will be something sweet," Momus turned around, putting a fully bloomed rose in his mouth. "You don't know how much this hurts." His voice was muffled.

"Why?"

He carefully opened his mouth, his lips dripping blood. "Because the thorns, dumbass!" He swore as he stomped into his bedroom.

She followed him into the bedroom and then the bathroom. She rolled her eyes as she dragged him down to sit on the toilet as she cleaned the tiny wounds. "Just little pricks. You know, like you."

His eyes narrowed, the dark green turning a even darker shade. "That better be a joke."

"It was," She rolled her eyes. "Goodness knows that I've seen it enough by now."

"Like you have anything to compare my dick to."

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

"It's possessiveness, not jealousy."

"Fine." She dropped the towel in the bathroom sink. "You're fine. Just itty bitty little.." She turned and then glared. "I keep forgetting you have magical powers. Why did you have me clean you up when you heal almost automatically?"

"How else am I going to get you to touch me? You don't like the dancing, you don't like the looking, you don't seem to like anything that I do!"

"If you didn't stop acting like I was some whore, maybe it'd go better!"

"I don't treat you like a whore… intentionally. Look, I'm just used to women used to my… advances. They enjoy a show."

"I don't want a show," Marcaria muttered, opening the bathroom door. "I just want you."

She walked to the bedroom door for it to close just as she opened it. "Momus, what are you doing?"

"Nothing." He sat on the bed and patted the side next to him.

She looked at him. "Momus. What is this going to be?"

"A fun night?'

"Momus!"

He sighed and fell onto the bed dramatically. She opened the door once more for it to close and there was the audible click of a lock. "Now that's just cheating!" She glared and then remembered what his mother said.

She turned around and put on all the charm she had. She moved her hips as suggestively as she could and then pouted at him. "You are being a very bad boy."

"Whatever my mother told you, I REALLY like."

She crawled on top of him before sitting back. She jumped off his arousal and rolled right back off only for him to roll with her, pinning her under him. "I… okay, that wasn't fair! She said if I did things your way, you might be uncomfortable!"

"Prank, we're the Gods. We trick everyone and everything."

She turned vindictive. "She did this on purpose!"

He was nibbling on her chin, on the scarred part of her face. She flushed as she tried to give him her better side only for him to rise above her and stare her down. "I don't have much feeling." She lied.

His eyes narrowed before he bit her. She shrieked and then sighed as he started to nibble again. "Why do you insist on paying attention to the…" Her voice trailed off as his lips moved upward toward the eye socket. "Put your tongue in that and you won't have the ability of taste anymore."

He snorted as his lips moved downward, taking the hint to stay away from the eye socket. She couldn't help but become more interested by his attention, as he didn't seem in any hurry and was being more affectionate than pushy.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as his tongue moved and thrust into her mouth. She was dimly aware of thoughts in her head, a sense of worry and trepidation and the looming idea that maybe this was the wrong thing because she was still uncertain about her place to Momus.

His voice was husky. "I won't abandon you, you know. This isn't something that I do lightly."

"Do gods do girlfriends?"

He licked at her lower lip. "No. But I can stay with one woman. Nothing in mythology says I'm anything like Zeus."

"So.. this isn't going to be a fling?"

His eyes met with hers. "You're really afraid of being alone, aren't you?"

"I've been alone," Her eyes refused to break their met gaze. "I lost my life, my family, that anyone could see me. I've been alone with Lune my only friend and companion. The only one I could ever have a conversation with. But with you.."

Her voice faded. "I'm not… entirely like the girls of today. I've grown up watching women gain more power and strength and all that I think is great. But for me… I just want to be happy with someone I love and I want to know that they love me too."

"And you think I don't?"

"I've never seen anyone love me like a man would. And you're soo… pissy and sometimes shallow and then brazen and obvious about how you want to bed me and all that but you.. Look at the rose petals! A romantic would have done to sweep me off my feet! And you were just doing it because you were bitching about Zeus."

She managed to sit up, Momus still over her. His eyes were unreadable as she finished.

"Momus…I." She struggled with her words. "I love you. And.. If I can't have a place next to you.. Then I'll settle for being near you. I've been thinking about it for a while and I wouldn't mind it if we were together…Just.. You know… because you want to and.."

"Stop it."

Her one eye was tearing up.

"You would be miserable, not knowing if I loved you or not. If you just let me use you, that's not who you are! Maybe in your old times when women had to submit but you don't have to. Not with me. I will take care of you, treasure you, and… yes, love you."

His hand trailed on her scarred face. "I care more for you than I care of my own life."

She gave him a watery smile.

"But that doesn't mean I'll be changing my personality."

"Why would I want you to change?" She asked him dryly.

He blinked at her before kissing her lightly. Her breath caught in her throat as she maneuvered to lay horizontal in the large bed, surrounded by fluff and bedding as he kept up the kiss.

She whimpered at the slowly roving hands. They slipped under her shirt before he tugged it off, licking at her navel before glaring at the bra.

"You wear too many clothing!"

"My breasts aren't perfect like your Goddesses," She protested. "And I'm more comfortable during the day with a bra."

His hands reached around and then she found him flipping her over. His hands undid the bra and then openly gripped her breasts tightly.

Her face flushed as he smirked. "Move your hips."

"Why?"

"Please, I need you to move."

Her entire body felt hot as she did what he asked, feeling herself ride against his arousal as his hands dropped to her pants, unzipping her pants.

"Take the pants off."

Once she wiggled out of them, his voice was strained. "Underwear. Off."

She hesitated as she then slipped them off in a hurry. She sat on his waist, gasping at the heat from his pants.

His hands grasped her hips. She flushed at the intense gaze before his right hand traveled to the wounds on her chest and breast.

"You're beautiful." He rolled her over with a gentleness she hadn't seen by him before. She kissed him as his hands began to roam again. Fingers found her womanhood and she began to breath heavily at the intimate touch.

"Mo…"

"You're fine," He breathed into her hair. "Just.." A second finger was added. "Relax."

"I can't." Her voice was strained.

"This might help," He went down all the way, his free hand parting the outer folds and delving to lick, his tongue rough and warm.

She wiggled, unable to decide what to do as she finally wrung her hands into his hair, the braid coming undone as his tongue moved eagerly, the fingers slowly scissoring. She cried out and couldn't help but pull his head closer to her, excitement growing.

She didn't have him stop until every muscle in her body was tense. He had advanced to three fingers, formed into a triangle as he stroked as deep as he could.

"Momus.."

He crawled up, eyes bright and shining. The dark green had become emerald as his hands pulled away and he undressed himself, fully aroused and unashamed. "You're mine," His eyes pierced her gaze as he pushed her into the pillow. "All mine."

She tried to say something only to find him pressing against her, seeking entrance. "I can't relax," Her voice was strained.

His lips pressed against her chin. "You will. Just take it slow.. And easy…" His voice was more strained as he buried his head into her neck. His frustration at the slow push inward was palpable as he bit her neck.

She didn't think she was going to make it as it was an agonizing slow motion. "Momus… oh, god, Momus… just put it in, this is torture."

It took a moment. "Don't slow down!"

"You're no fun," He smiled at her before pressing his forehead against her and finally bottoming out. He breathed in sharply. "Fuck. You're warm, hot… so hot…"

Her hands cupped his face as he kissed her hard, moving his hips against her, making her whimper.

He stayed slow and careful until she was biting his lip, excitement brewing. "I'm fine, keep going, don't stop, don't you dare stop.."

His strangled moan was due to the tightening on his shaft. "Don't tease."

He began to move with more intent, her own legs wrapping around his hips as both moved. He engaged her in a deepening kiss, both of them heating up.

She gasped when he rolled her over again, his length hitting deeper as she pressed down onto him. His hips moved upward, grasping her hips as she leaned back, eyes closing tightly. Her body shuddered and peaked as she began to ride, moving her own hips with him to feel herself open up more.

"Momus…"

Her eyes met with his as he pushed up into a sitting position, one hand behind him holding him up as the other stroked through her hair. "You're mine." His eyes turned even lighter as power welled up from within. "Trust me, once you go God, you won't want anything else."

She cried out as he rolled over, holding her hips tighter and he jutted, harder and harder as her legs wrapped as tightly as possible. Her hands grasped at the bedding before finding the bedpost, keeping a tight grasp as she cried out and came again. He reared and found himself very close to the edge. He pushed into a sitting position, moving as hard as he could, giving into his own urges. His eyes closed tightly, teeth gritting as every muscle in him tightened with her. He threw his head back and shouted as his body climaxed.

He fell forward, leaning heavily against her. She was still trembling, trying to take a deep breath and failing as she gulped in air.

He moved and pulled away but was stopped almost immediately. "Don't leave," Marcaria's voice was strained. "I need you to stay."

Momus leaned against her as both of them seemed to find a moment of peace. They both found themselves resting on their sides, Momus holding Marcaria to him possessively.

Eventually she became aware of his hand weaving in her hair. He'd undid her braid and was using his fingers to brush it out. He kissed her shoulder, pushing her onto her back and slipping right back in. Her whimper of pleasure was all the encouragement he needed as he began to move.

He stopped, premature as she gasped at the sudden emptiness. "Momus, why…?"

"Roll over."

Her face turned red. "Already?"

"Trust me, variety is the spice of life."

She rolled over, once more her body red, by both arousal and embarrassment. He helped her settle against the pillow against her stomach to soften her as he then shifted and climbed over, moving into her with ease. Her fingers grasped the pillow her head was resting on. She moaned, pleasure growing in between her legs. "Momus.. Oh, god, you were right."

His chuckle vibrated against her back as he pressed his head against her shoulder blades. His fingers dug into the bedding under them as he moved, gaining strength and speed. He made animalistic sounds as he nipped on her shoulder, rearing as if in vivid heat.

"You're perfect," Momus wheezed hoarsely. "Fit like a glove… wet enough, hot enough, strong enough.. Stop grasping me like that!"

"I can't help it," Marcaria laughed weakly.

He moved hard, deeper, faster. "Marcaria… geezus, it's so good." His body tensed and after her own climax, shuddered and came himself.

He fell against his side again, holding her to him. They both dozed before Momus awoke first.

He was still interested as his hands rubbed her skin slowly. Marcaria stirred, slipping out of her light sleep to roll over to face him, blinking sluggishly at him.

He nipped her nose lightly.

"More?"

His laugh was soft. "Am I already wearing you out?"

"No," She was red-faced. His hand grasped her scarred face, trailing her eye socket with curiosity. "Momus. Leave that alone."

"Why? I'm just exploring."

She let him do what he wanted with a little worry. She was getting used to him seeing her without the mask, and it seemed fair that he could do something like touch it. She could still feel the touch, her scars rough but he didn't seem bothered by it.

His tongue moved upward a little high as she spoke. "Momus."

"You're no fun," His tongue kept moving up higher. "I'm just tasting, that's all."

His hands moved up and down on her body. He kissed her softly before moving to rise above her.

"Last time," She breathed at him.

"Really?" He pretended to look disappointed. He turned serious. "You want me to stop?"

Her fingers danced against his chin. "No."

"Good."

He moved easily, his entrance slicked. He kissed her tenderly as their eyes met.

"Have I told you that you're beautiful? Without that mask, I can see everything wonderful about you."

She was pink at the heavy compliments. Her eyes half-closed in pleasure. "Momus.."

"Am I beautiful?" He whispered teasingly.

"Yes, of course you are." She kissed his nose. "You're perfect."

"No, I'm not. But thank you anyways."

Their attention diverted to the building pleasure as he once more rolled over. "Ride me."

She obliged him, moving swiftly as her hands rested on his chest and she ground herself.

"More. Come on, Prank, ride me like you mean it. Come on, baby, that's it, that's it, faster." He urged her on as she cried out in pleasure. Her fingers dug into his chest as Momus gave in and grasped her hips, meeting her downfall as they moved in unison.

Momus was panting as he wove fingers into her hair, tangling themselves tightly as he pulled her to him for a kiss.

"You feel so good."

"Momus, I can't last this long…"

His hands moved to her hips again. "Then come for me."

"Momus."

"You know you want to," He teased softly, head dropping to her breasts. "Come on me, Marcaria. Ride me into oblivion."

She was close to the edge, her body moving as she kept focusing on the heat between her legs. With the friction and building pleasure, she was moving her hips frantically as he bit her breasts and felt her rear and shudder. Her heat spread down to coat his own hips as he rolled over and moved deep and hard.

"Momus, Momus, you need.. To come.. Too.." She wheezed, her chest heaving. She was already close to the edge as his hands grasped the bed against the sides of her head, his eyes bright and shining.

"I will," He promised as he moved, finally bringing himself off as she unintentionally grasped him such a tight hold from her own orgasm.

This time, when they fell asleep, they stayed asleep until the sunlight finally began to bother Momus's eyes. He tried to roll over only to thud against Marcaria.

She was curled slightly, fast asleep and snoring softly. She seemed almost child-like, fragile in her state as he carefully wrapped himself around her, feeling overly protective as well as possessive.

"No one else can have you," His voice was very low. "You're mine. Only mine. Anyone touches you, I'll kill them. No matter what."


	7. Chapter 7

Rise of the Guardians

Arlecchino

Chapter Seven

Marcaria was humming as she stirred the pot. She had picture directions on how to make the soup. She added in the cut vegetables and stirred it before putting the top on. She liked the smells already brewing as she then went to the garlic bread. Momus actually made the loaf as Marcaria slathered it in the garlic butter, her own stomach already grumbling.

There was a thud and then Momus spilled into the kitchen, half-naked and pissed.

"Hey there, sunshine," Marcaria waved the loaf in front of him. "Smell good?"

"Yes but that's besides the point."

"What are you doing? Does it have to do with anything about your pants hung around your ankles?"

"I decided too late to enter naked and got halfway there."

"All right, fine, I'll bite. Why?"

"Seriously? You have to ask that?"

"I'm in the middle of cooking dinner! We don't have time to.. You know, fool around."

"You won't burn the house down."

"Really, what about last night?"

"That was an accident."

"We didn't even notice until the bedroom was full of black smoke!"

"That was a fun night."

"MOMUS!"

"Fine." He sat up as he jumped up and down, dragging his pants up with a grumble. "I'm horny."

"No shit, Sherlock."

"And you're not?"

"I.. I'm working on dinner!"

"Someone's avoiding the question."

She walked away from him only to find him wrapped around her. He was still aroused as she continued to grumble. She put the bread aside and stared at the toaster oven. "How does this work again?"

"Set the timer to heat up the bread," Momus turned the dial. "Like that."

She stared at the numbers ticking down. "I can't read it.." She mumbled.

"We're working on that."

"Really? Everything we start ends up with you trying to get me in bed!"

"Works, doesn't it?"

"Momus, geeze."

"You know the alphabet now, you will pick up on reading in no time."

"I guess." She wiggled, unable to get out of his grasp. She dragged him with her to the soup, stirring carefully.

"That smells delicious." His nose went into overdrive. "Lovely work."

"Momus."

"Yes?"

"Stop pressing up on me!"

They ate in moderate silence for dinner. Not an uncomfortable silence but a simple one as Momus's eyebrow raised while Marcaria slurped at her soup, struggling with the spoon.

"Uh, Prank?"

"What?" She gave in and picked up the bowl, chugging down the broth as she burped and set it down. "That was good! Not bad for my first meal made in centuries."

"You used to cook?"

"Of course. My mother taught me when I was young. After all, it was important that a woman could cook what her husband could kill."

Momus choked on his spoon. "I see," He rasped. He coughed harshly. "Do you hunt?"

"I… do, time to time. Not lately since you feed me but I did do so when I was on my own, in the world, alone."

"How?"

"Most common way was to use a wood fire."

Momus became distracted by something, turning away from their conversation to stare at the kitchen's exit. He pushed back as he hurried out of the room, Marcaria following him hurriedly. He tried to shove her back inside once outside but she bit his arm as he swore.

"I will be punishing you later," He hissed at her. They turned to see Eris looking around thoughtfully. "What the Hell are you doing here?"

"Visiting my brother, duh." She swerved around, her hips swinging smoothly with each step. She was radiant, seemingly more so as she smiled slowly.

"Why are you putting on the charm?" Momus crossed his arms. "You're not my type, remember?"

"Wait, Gods do that? The whole incest thing?"

"We bed anything we want, how many times do I have to repeat that to you?" Momus shook his head. "And not all of us do so."

"No, you don't because your mythology is pretty much lost. All we know is that you're a prick and Zeus hates you."

"As much as I enjoy your company, we're busy having supper."

"Zeus has been fuming and I think he's going to sick Hera on you."

"Hera doesn't do what he wants, she does what she wants."

"Not if he can coax her jealousy. Despite how your girl looks, if Zeus pays attention to her regardless of that fact, Hera will be jealous."

"I don't want Zeus! He's a dick."

Eris's eyebrow raised. "I see my brother has been mind wiping you with his opinions."

"No, he's a dick. He tried to rape me. That's a monster."

Eris paused. "All right, I can understand that."

"And why all of the sudden are you people coming to warn me of things I already know?"

"No one should be dealing with your Spirit, Momus. We are the words of humanity, written and created by their impulses and thoughts. Your Spirit was human, is given a life again, and is under the protection of not only what she protects but the very thing that rose her."

"Again with Lune," Marcaria muttered.

"And he is very powerful. Zeus is headless at this fact, fully in his glory of mythology of thinking he is untouchable. Though it is said that he would father a child that will overthrow him."

"Which is why he's stopped having children. Thankfully, mankind has invented the most fun thing called contraception such as the condom and the diaphragm." Momus nodded.

"Wait a minute.." It hit Marcaria like a ton of bricks "We didn't use any!"

"And we won't."

"And why not?!"

"I don't need protection!"

"You want me knocked up?! Don't you have children already?"

"I don't know that at all and I really don't care about them even if I did. I only care about what we have," He patted her belly with a pointed stare.

"Not until I'm good and ready," She hissed.

"Yea, you can't really stop me at this."

"Eris!"

"He's right. When we want something, we usually get it."

Marcaria threw up her hands. "I'm going to sleep in my own room until this is sorted out."

She disappeared into the home as Momus blinked slowly. "She doesn't know what she's saying."

The siblings stared at each other. "Eris, I don't get you and Mother lately. Why are you so damn interested in keeping Prank safe?"

"For your benefit and hers. We may be narcissistic but we do have hearts."

There was a heavy pause.

Eris sighed. "If you want to run off.."

Momus was gone in mere seconds. "Geez. It's been a while since he's gotten some but that was just sad."

Marcaria was in the kitchen, cleaning up as she chewed on a piece of garlic bread. She moved with ease in the kitchen, memories of when she used to take care of the family home while their mother worked in the gardens coming to mind. "Ah, Mom."

She dropped the plates in, remembering her mother had died only a few short years after her own death. Her mother always loved her children and her life was cut short of the loss of her oldest girl.

Marcaria rubbed her face, her eye tearing up. "I wish they were still around."

"Wish who was around?"

"My family. It's nice, for you, right? To have your family still nearby?"

"Depends on what they're doing," Momus paused. "You know, -we- could have a family."

Marcaria turned red, turning to start washing the dishes. "We're still learning about each other and stuff. I'm not ready for that."

"Fine, I'll go with that." Momus sat at the kitchen table. "I want kids."

Marcaria sighed loudly. "Can we drop the subject?"

"Only if you promise to return to our bed."

"Your bed."

"Our bed. Our bed. Our bed."

"You're sounding like a child."

"I'll show you child."

"I'm holding a knife, Momus."

Momus dropped away from her, having just been about to grab a hold of her.

"It's our bed now. I even changed up the colors to be more.. Feminine."

"Green is not feminine!"

"It stands for Mother Earth, she's feminine."

"I hate the color green. I like the blues and night colors."

"Romantic."

"Exactly!" She wiped her hands dry. "I didn't pull your dish as you hadn't finished."

"I'm full enough," He dumped the residue from his bowl into the sink. He added water as he blinked. "I'll wash it later."

"Or use magic to cheat."

"I don't cheat all the time."

"Of course not, it's just the easiest way to deal with things."

Momus followed Marcaria. "Keep going," He said pointedly as she neared her old bedroom. "Keep it up, keep it up.."

He kept himself two steps behind her, his breath on her hair as she paused only slightly in front of the bedroom before he pressed intently behind her. "I said keep going."

She stopped fully, glaring out in general. "I might if you were a little nicer about it," She snapped, turning around to turn her glare onto him.

He groaned and fell to his knees with all the drama soaked in his body. His head dropped forward against her belly as she almost fell for it.

Till his hand came up to grasp her buttocks.

"This isn't nicer. You're just trying to… keep your tongue to yourself!" She shrieked, dancing away from him.

She tried to enter her bedroom only to be kidnapped by Momus. "Mo, let me down!"

"Make me!"

She threw a hissy fit on his back, beating the lower part of his back before even trying to bite him. She spat out clothing. "You need to wash your damn clothes!"

"They're clean!" He protested, turning around in a full circle as she watched the world zip by. "Besides, I won't be wearing these clothes for much longer."

She snorted as he entered 'their' bedroom as she was planted on the bed.

"I still need to punish you," He said darkly. "You do not bite me!" He shook a finger at her as she put it into her mouth. He was momentarily interested before she bit him pointedly.

He swore, shaking his injured finger. "You're being a bitch."

"You're being pushy."

"Go back to being shy and rude. You know, where you don't say no to me."

"Since when did I never stop saying no?"

"Kind of hoping you'd start that kind of soon."

"Momus, you're such an ass," She sat up, head butting him. "Ow!"

"Ow, yourself," He muttered, rubbing his forehead. He stood up, stretched and took off his shirt. She shimmied off the bed and started to walk around him only to find him grasping her hips as he fell to his knees. "Ah, ah, ah. Where do you think you're going?" He peeked up at her, smug.

He undid her pants as she tried to figure exactly where she wanted this to go. It wasn't like she didn't want to but she was still feeling rebellious. The pants fell, followed by the frilly underwear, though he'd paused heavily at that sight.

"Like them?"

"Is your bra frilly too?" He peeked up, looking at her from in between her covered breasts.

"Yea, I thought I should dress a little more.." She gasped in hurriedly. "Sexy. "She squeaked.

He lifted her onto the bed's edge, licking into her with slow leisure. She wove her fingers into his hair, as he climbed upward and helped her take off her shirt.

He nipped at her chin, going down to suck her breasts' nipples, alternating sides as she watched him. He could be very loving when he wanted to be. Of course, he had to be if he wanted to get what he wanted.

He pulled away from her, once she was nude and panting. He climbed past her as he undressed, Marcaria helping him out of his pants.

"I don't know why but I love that you don't wear underwear," She giggled at him.

He smirked as he leaned backwards. "Good. How about this for an idea? Why don't you explore first?"

She turned red.

"Come on, lovely, you know you want to."

"Okay but you can't make fun of … stop moving your toes against my crotch!"

"Sorry. I just wanted to get you started."

"I still bite, you know."

"Go below the belt with the teeth and Daddy won't be happy at all."

"Keep talking like that and I won't explore."

His mouth closed tightly. "I'll be good," He whispered tightly. "Honest!"

She flushed as she ran her hands against his chest. She licked at his skin, suddenly giggling.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I'm just glad you're not some hairy guy."

"I have enough.. Ow! Bite me again." He winced as she obliged him. Her careful exploration was slow for both the experience and that she was starting to feel very shy.

So she explored with her hands first, fingers stroking up and down his shaft carefully. He watched her as she studied his cock carefully.

"I'll be on my best behavior."

"Don't be pushy. I'll get to it." She was red. "I've never done this before! In my day, we didn't even talk about the mechanics of sex, let alone.. Well, this."

His eyes pierced hers. "I'm not going to force you. I just thought you might want to explore. I've got you nearly memorized and you do run your hands on me time to time."

"I know some of you," Her gaze dropped to his waist. She gave a timid lick. Her hesitation made her seem more enduring to him, knowing it was taking all of her courage just to hold him.

He shifted, running fingers through her hair gently. "I love you."

She looked up at him as he tilted his head to the scarred side.

Her eye narrowed. "If you're thinking what I think you're thinking.." Her grip tightened painfully on his cock.

"I wasn't thinking anything… okay, it's another hole, it was just a passing thought, I swear! Geezus, let go, let go, let go!"

He breathed in relief when her grip finally slackened. He sighed again when she began to explore with her mouth. It didn't take long before his fingers were woven tightly in her hair, moaning softly with delight.

She was surprised when he rolled over, knees on the outside of her head as her eyes met with him. He smirked, his head still in her mouth. "Just wanted a little more control."

She bared her teeth pointedly.

"Do you want me to come or not?"

Her face turned red as he grasped her head gently, starting to move his hips. She couldn't take his entire length but enough that he was panting softly.

His fingers untangled and climbed onto the bed post as he groaned. "Almost.. Almost there…"

Her hand grasped at the base of his cock, tightening as he gritted his teeth. Her tongue worked into overdrive as he suddenly pulled away, rolling to his back and finding himself delighted as she rolled with him, her mouth still on him.

His fingers grasped the bedpost again, watching her as his arousal began to peak. "Faster. Move faster. That's it, Prank, that's the spot… here I come, baby, here I come.."

He threw his head back with a growl, his body erupting. When he came back to the Earth, he couldn't help laughing at the look on her face as she gulped and licked at her lips.

"Taste good?"

"I don't know… it's… different.." She wiped at her mouth. "And a lot. How do you men deal with that mess?"

"Well, there's with a towel, in the shower, or with a woman."

She stared at him with a deadpan stare.

"Or all over," He perked up. "Coating you would be fun."

"Momus."

"Sorry, my imagination is getting the best of me," He pulled her up, licking at her neck as he maneuvered her. "Come sit on me, lovely."

She purposely sat so that his manhood pressed against her buttocks as he groaned. "Close but not quite there."

She rubbed backwards, making his eyes cross.

"Don't make me punish you."

"Like you cou…"

She was pinned on her front, legs forced open by the movement of his knees. He rubbed hard as she tried to move only to for him to flip her over as she gasped at the swift movement. There was a bit of a scuffle before she found her arms tied to the bedpost.

"Crap."

She glared at him. "Hey, Daddy, how about letting me go?"

"Ummm.. No."

His hands roamed before fingers found her entrance, slowly building fluids. Fingers stretched her as he hummed and worked slowly before she was tugging against the fabric tied around her wrists. "You.. Your fingers… can't all.. Fit.." She was squeaking at this point as three fingers straightened.

"Momus.. All right, you win, stop please."

He smirked at her as he began to add a fourth finger. She fought against the binding, crying out.

"Say you're sorry or I won't stop."

"Momus.. I won't ever say sorry!" She was rebellious. She began to cry out hoarsely, pleasure spreading through her lower limbs.

She eventually began to wiggle, desperate for him to stop teasing. He licked his fingers leisurely, leaving her hanging as she vainly pushed her body toward him but unable to loosen her binding. "Untie my hands! Untie my goddamn hands, you motherfucker!"

He was laughing by this point as he crawled over her, lifting her hips and bending her legs over his shoulders. He entered, hard and swift as she was bent, crying out with each thrust.

"You keep being a bad girl and I'll have to keep doing this. By the way, I suggest you keep doing so. This is -very- fun," He kissed her hard as she moaned against his lips.

He rode her, pushing her into the bed as his hips moved in growing desperation. He reared, finally shouting in his native tongue as his body tensed and shuddered

She eventually became aware that she was bent at a ninety degree angle. "Momus, you're going to break my back."

"Hmmm.."

"Momus, please!"

He sighed as he pulled her legs off her shoulder. He smiled slowly at her.

"All right. Now untie me."

"On one condition."

"What is the condition?"

"Have to agree to is first."

"Will it hurt?"

"There might be some spanking."

She paused for a moment. "All right, I'll agree."

He undid her bondage and smiled slowly, again, at her. "Hands and knees."

"What?"

"In front of the fireplace, on the rug, on your hands and knees."

She was red. "Are you.. Going to watch me get into position?"

"Why would I not?"

She flushed even redder. "Not sure how to think about you staring at my ass."

She then glared at him. "You said it wouldn't hurt!"

"I'm not going to do anything with your ass, Prank! It's called 'doggie' style. If you would get into position, I'll gladly show you what it is."

"Didn't we do that already?"

"Look, either you move now or I move you and tie you up at the same time."

"Momus!"

"I can't help it if I can figure out what you like before you realize it."

She shimmied off the bed and found him speaking. "Crawl for me."

She got on her hands and knees and pointedly wiggled her buttocks at him as she smirked as she then leisurely crawled forward. The fire alit as she fingered the rug. She hadn't realized how soft and plush it was.

She shrieked as the snap of pain from his palm. "Owwie!"

Fingers ran across her back, falling into a deep massage. She relaxed as his hand came back down and then struck.

"Stop making me relax if you're going to keep doing that!"

"But I like the surprise."

She looked over her shoulder pointedly.

"All right, Prank. I'll be a good boy."

He shifted to pose over her. "Well, next time."

Before she could say anything, he'd thrust into her full tilt, hitting her deep and eliciting a sharp ping of pain.

His head was against her neck, his hands over hers as he began to mount. It got to the point where her body was lax and she desperately wanted to lay down, feeling all of the pleasure numb her limbs as she moaned in tune with him.

Her head buried against the rug as he freed one hand to strike in a series of snaps, making her eyes cross.

"Momus.."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did that hurt?" His thrust changed and began to hit high and hard, the ping of pain growing in the pleasure as she tried to move. He kept going at the one spot until she swore her eyes crossed permanently.

"Stop, stop! Momus, I can't… stop… oh, god…"

"That's right, that's your God," He pulled his other hand to grasp her hips and focusing on angling, looking for that one best spot. His teeth bared as he forced as much of himself into her. He grunted, his eyes lightening to a very bright green, nearly apple in color. His body shone as he gave into his power, something of which he rarely did when he was with another person and made her scream his name again and again.

Her body was limp, resting on her forearms as her head pressed against the rug. Her eye met with his as she begged softly. "Please, Momus. I can't take much of this."

"Are you sure?"

"No! I don't know what I want… for you to keep going until I can't feel anymore or for you to stop before my body turns into your damn energy!"

"I'm not going to consume you, just mark you as mine."

"Haven't you done that already?"

"Yea but I like it when you're submissive."

"Momus.." She turned her head away, feeling him jut harder into her. She was painfully aware of his length, of his feel and movement. She wondered why her mother never explained this side of the act, the way it felt rather that the other explanation that one becomes pregnant by laying with a man.

Fingers dug into the rug when she cried out as he pulled out. She felt him splatter against her, her entire body turning red.

"I can't believe you…" She didn't get to finish as he reentered, just as hard. "Momus.."

His head moved to rest against her ear. "Come for me. I need to feel you grasping me so tightly that there's no possible way for you to let me go."

She whimpered and then moaned as he rode her, driving her into the rug as she felt herself about to go off the deep end. As she was pushed over completely, she was dimly aware of his own fall into oblivion.

She awoke in the very early morning, wrapped comfortably in the bedding. He was rolled over to the far edge, snoring softly as he twitched in his sleep. She sat up, watching him sleep as she then turned her attention to the window that lead to the balcony. She edged out of the bed and walked around, picking up the light blanket on the arm chair to wrap around her. She found the moon full and bright as she looked up at it.

It dawned on her. It'd been a long time since she actually talked to Lune, she wondered suddenly if he might be angry at her. She shifted, suddenly feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry, I lost the mask," She peeked up anxiously. "Zeus kind of… took it."

The moonlight grew slightly stronger as she blinked. "Yea, I know. I've been told that I should call on you."

"I will, I will," She said hurriedly. "I don't fancy the attentions of Zeus. Since he seems so.. Uncaring."

The light once more strengthened momentarily. "I don't know much of his or their mythologies. I know he just takes what he wants."

She looked behind as Lune said something. "Him? He's… um… well, mine."

She was a little possessive. "And he swears that I'm his too. You think he's lying?"

She listened intently. "He's been alone that long? How do you know that? Right, right, you can see everything over the world, including what mortal eyes cannot see." "So, you don't think he's lying?"

She sighed at his answer. "I know I should trust my instincts and heart. It's just I've been alone for so long, I sometimes feel as if this is just some wonderful dream that I'll wake up from, somewhere on the Earth cold and lonely."

Arms wrapped around her as Momus stared up. "Giving her worries and doubts, now are you, Mr. Moon?"

"He's not! He's trying to convince me that my own actions speak for themselves and that everything will be all right."

"Good. Otherwise I'd be pissed off at your Lune."

The moonlight strengthened on him. "Yea, I'm not under your jurisdiction… what you do mean 'I am'?"

He glared. "Hey, just because I have taken something of yours does not mean I'm under your tutelage. I don't need your help!"

Her bare heel went into his foot as he swore. "It's an honor to be under his light! Trust me, this will be a good thing. He doesn't control you, now does he?"

"No but he doesn't control you either."

"He entrusts me to do my.. Job.. Crap.." The moonlight fell upon her. "I can't, Lune! Not without my mask…"

She paused as she looked up fully. "You only gave it to me for me to feel more comfortable? I don't understand, when people see me as this, they're afraid of me."

"No, they're afraid because they pick up on yours," Momus said from behind. He nodded to the moon.

"I… I can't believe that! When I had the mask, all the kids laughed!"

When both the moon and Momus stared at her, she felt hot under the collar figuratively. "I'm going back to bed. Good night!"

She stormed in as Momus smirked to the moon. "Women. Can't live with them, can't live without them. Well, I can't, don't know about you."

He took a few steps backwards. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like a little privacy with my woman so take your light away for a while."

He closed the glass doors, watching as the clouds covered the moon. "He's really nice. I should talk to him more."


	8. Chapter 8

Rise of the Guardians

Arlecchino

Chapter Eight

Marcaria was trembling, unable to move from her hiding spot. She turned hurriedly and hit right into Momus.

"You said you wouldn't follow," She spoke into his shirt, her voice muffled.

"I lied. I lie all the time."

"Really? About -everything-?"

He blinked and then slowly corrected himself. "I only lie part of the time."

Marcaria rolled her eyes as she began to tap her hands against her figure hurriedly. "Damn it, where'd it go?!"

She saw movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to Momus who was holding up the makeshift face mask.

"You're a fucking dick."

His fingers tightened as the entire thing burned in seconds. "Yea. I know."

"NO!" She fell to her knees. "I worked on that for hours!"

"And look at how easily it was destroyed. Just," He pulled her up, flipping her away. "Go on and do what you're supposed to do!"

Marcaria whimpered in the sudden blaze of the sunlight, the playground full of bustling, laughing children. "I.. I…"

She dove away only to be flattened on the ground. "Since when do you care about my job?!"

"I don't! I care about what you're feeling and you are all wrong in your thinking! Now.." He grasped her by the pants. "You're going to.." He tugged with each word. "Get up and, crap.."

The sudden show of the frilly, pink underwear made him pause. "Well, that's pretty."

Her heel went into his gut as he doubled over, gasping in much needed air. "You son of a bitch!"

He watched her tear off, jumping up and down to put her pants back to its rightful place. "Love.. You… too.." He managed, staggering to his feet. "Ow… that didn't hurt.."

She was up high in a tree, holding onto the trunk tightly as she glared down through the barely visible floor.

"Come on, Prank. It's not that bad. You're beautiful!" Momus craned his head up and winced as a pinecone hit him right between the eyes. "And a good shot."

He rubbed his nose. "Come on, Marcaria! You can't hide forever. What happens when we have children? You going to run from them?"

"Who said anything about children!?" Her voice was high-pitched with stress as he winced.

"Keep forgetting we're not supposed to talk about that little subject," Momus muttered, looking around in irritation. He groaned as he began to shimmy up the tree.

He fell back down under the barrage of pinecones. "Ow! Ow! Stop it! Stop it! Those fucking hurt, you know?!"

"Oh, god, I can't do this anymore! I'm going to give them nightmares! I might as well as represent Halloween with this face!"

Momus kicked at the tree in frustration. "God damn it…"

"Having trouble?"

"Oh, god, Eris, what the Hell do you want? We are having a very important conversation here!"

A pinecone hit him square in the head, making his eyes cross.

"And you are doing a fabulous job."

"You can do better?!"

"I am a woman, you are a man, you think with your pants, we think with our heads."

"Yea, like I haven't figured that shit out."

"Just back off," Eris waved him off as he eyed her rather modern clothing. She was dressed like a fashion model, elegant, alluring, and downright rich. "What?"

"Not used to seeing you actually clothed."

"YOU'VE SEEN HER NAKED?!"

Eris looked up with a grin. "Oh, honey, trust me, he's seen a lot of women naked."

It took a moment as Momus glared at his sister.

"Yea, I probably shouldn't have said that."

Eris crossed her arms. "Marcaria, I know how insecure we women can get…"

"Seriously?! A goddess versus me?!"

Eris sighed. "Just listen. From what Momus told me, the Man in the Moon gave you that mask because he knew that you couldn't take what you saw. But others aren't meant to see what you seem to think, they see something else. Something bright, warm, and loving, fun and happy. Just because you're scarred doesn't mean you're a monster or that you're ugly."

"Yea, look at the old guy Hephaestus. He married that hot chick, Aphrodite."

Eris glared at Momus. "That's a terrible example!"

"Why?" Marcaria's question wandered down.

"Because…" She paused at Momus's frantic hand waving. "Um, well…"

"He was viewed as not a threat to the beautiful goddess. Everyone wanted her and he was the lucky guy who married her."

"Did she cheat on him?"

"I am obligated to say that.. Uh…"

Another pinecone hit Momus in the head. "Damn it."

"He still had children and he was returned to Olympus for his abilities. He is… scarred and a little ugly to the eyes of the Gods but he was able to live his life as his and did his work with ease and in great appreciation." Eris nodded.

"So, you see, we all see our flaws so easily but it's more important to see what the beauty that we can have inside, that which gives us our strengths and such."

Eris and Momus paused heavily.

"But I'm not a Goddess. I'm human. You don't know how cruel humans can be."

"You've seen how cruel Gods can be. Trust me, we're a hundred times worse."

"Yea, we'd kill just because."

"Anyone can do that!"

"Fine, fine," Eris raised her hands in defeat. "I don't know what else to say. Why haven't you convinced her she's beautiful?"

"She's a stubborn bitch!"

"MOMUS!"

"Now, wait a minute, I say that with all the love in my.."

His eyes closed tightly against the pinecone's strike. "Shouldn't you be out of ammo now?"

Eris rolled her eyes. "Let her think on things."

"I've been doing that. It's time for her to do what she's supposed to do."

"And why is that?" Eris crossed her arms, her lips pouty.

"Stop making that face at me."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Because it's what Lune wants. Apparently there's not a lot of happiness going around. You know, what goes around, comes around?"

Eris sighed. "And when do you care about humans?"

Momus made an angry gesture upward.

"Aside from her."

He turned red. "Apparently, I'm under the tutelage of the Moon."

Momus turned even redder as Eris began to laugh loudly. "Hey! It's not that funny!"

"It's just so sweet. He must know how important you are to her. Perhaps you won't be like us and fade from existence."

"What do you mean 'fade'?!"

Marcaria hit the ground on her feet rather gracefully, looking a little frazzled.

"Marcaria, I explained. We're of the words of mankind. Once a story has been lost, there's no coming back."

"You mean I could lose you?!"

"No! No! Because, well, you know me and you want me around. If you didn't, then I would."

He grunted as her arms wrapped painfully around him.

"Today isn't a good day for anything," He muttered, wrapping his arms around Marcaria. "Come on, let's go home."

"Awww.."

Momus glared at Eris. "Shut up."

Both of them were soon surrounded by a long field of wheat. Marcaria began to sneeze in concession as Momus then lifted her to sit upon his shoulders, to avoid the brushing tall foliage.

Once through, he put her back down.

"I can't do it."

Her head was lowered, her body in a distinct defeated pose. "I'm nothing without that mask. It was made me who I was as a Spirit."

"No, it wasn't. Remember when you told me about how you died? How you would make the children laugh? Then to protect the children, you acted like a goon and brought the bear to you? That's what made you a Spirit, someone who could bring light and happiness even in the face of danger. Trust me, Prank. I've spent what was like forever without laughter save for the cruel jokes that I would play and at this point and time, I never find it funny. Your simplicity, honesty, and gentleness brings a great joy and happiness. People can see it, only if you are willing to see it."

"Look at me!" Her head snapped up. "I'm a monster!"

Momus sighed and then hefted a protesting woman to hang over his shoulder. She shouted, beating her hands against his back as he grunted.

"The things I have to do, woman, you drive me up the wall sometimes!"

He eventually reached their bedroom, dumping her onto the floor.

"That was graceful," She snapped, pushing up only to find his foot against her chest, pressing her down. "What?" She asked crossly.

"Stay there. I mean it, stay."

She laid there as Momus went to grab a mirror. She grumbled he sat on her chest and mid-drift, showing her the mirror. Marcaria pointedly looked away.

Momus took her chin and forced her gaze to him. "Look. Just look."

He threw the mirror away in grief the moment her eye filled with tears. "Marcaria, you're such a stubborn woman! What in the name of Zeus do I have to do to convince you?"

"I don't know! I spent all these centuries like that! Do you really expect me to just change?"  
His forehead hit hers. "I suppose not. I just hate that I cannot convince you otherwise."

"You can see me naked."

"What, now? Like.."

"No!" Marcaria was red. "I.. I would never let anyone see me like this… it's a small step but… I feel happy and warm that I can show you what I look like."

Momus grinned slowly. "That is true. So.. What you're saying is slow steps?"

"I guess. But… I just remember how that innocent baby looked at me. Such a small thing, who shouldn't even be able to think of such things as monsters."

"You're not a monster."

"Then why do I feel like one?"

"Because it's all in your head!"

Momus ran his hands through his hair, trying to think. Marcaria was becoming distracted by something else at this point.

"Momus, really? At this time?"

"I'm against your breasts, what can I say?" He waggled his eyebrows as she stared at him with a deadpan gaze. "Fine, I'll get off."

He moved awkwardly as he sat himself next to her laying form. "Marcaria. I don't want to push but your Lune has been getting more adamant about you going out there. Apparently, this Jack fellow is only so much. Just because he's the Guardian of Fun doesn't mean that you can't bring fun and happiness. You're supposed to bring laughter when there's darkness, when one is lonely and wants to think of nothing but the shadows, you're the beam of sunlight piercing through the clouds."

She was sniffling as she sat up. "I'm afraid, Mo. I can't. I spent so much being afraid to look in a mirror. I still can't believe that I can even be with you, at least with the lights on."

Momus snickered at that. "You still turn red, Prank."

"Shut up, Captain Obvious!"

His arm wrapped around her gently. "You have nothing to fear but fear itself. I wish I could give my eyes so you could see what I see."

"What do you see?"

His grip tightened. "Mine."

"Momus!"

"Sorry, knee-jerk reaction." Momus slipped his arm away.

There was the sound of a doorbell going off. Momus frowned. "I don't have a bell."

Momus walked down the steps and approached the door very cautiously. Before he could even think of opening the door, the cheerful voice of a young girl broke through the silence.

"Hidey ho, brother! It's your most favorite sister in the realm of the Gods!"

Momus groaned. "Oh, Gods, Philotes, did Mother dump you here again?"

He opened the door to a pint-sized girl, with the same features as he, and dressed in the common toga fashioned femininely to the girl. She was in all pink and bright looking.

"Hi!" She charged in, beaming at Marcaria. "I'm Philotes, the personification of affection, sexual intercourse, and friendship!"

Marcaria rubbed her head. "I can get affection and friendship but the.. Uh…intercourse seems a little unfitting."

"Not if you knew how many men she'd bedded so far."

Marcaria winced as Philotes beamed. "Oh, it's not that bad! Besides, I'm irresistible!"

"How old are you?"

"No, wait, I can figure this out…" Philotes started to count on her fingers.

Momus grinned. "It'll take a few hours for her to figure it out. Why don't we ditch her?"

"I can hear you, you know," His sister muttered. "I'm guessing I'm only a little younger than Momus. After all, I do look like it."

"You all look young," Marcaria said loudly. "None of you are old! Even your fearsome Zeus is still youthful."

"You need to meet some of the Gods and Goddesses that represent like death and old age, then you'll see how horrible they look."

Marcaria's hand slowly slipped up her face to her mauled side. Philotes's smile slipped instantly.

"I am so sorry, that was not an insult whatsoever! You have a beautiful eye color, very lovely, bright, cheerful…"

"All right, all right, pint-sized! Why did Mother send you?"

"Oh, something about being an annoyance and that I could be a good friend to your pretty trinket."

"Why do you people call me that?!"

"Because of your beautiful soul!"

Marcaria looked irked. "That's a little bizarre!"

"Those of the chosen by the Man in the Moon are special people. Just because you have that disfigurement, doesn't mean anything to the goodness and warmth of your soul."

Marcaria elbowed Momus. "Why aren't you like her?"

"Most of Mother's children are representatives of things that aren't nice. She's a rare one, that's for sure." Momus started for the kitchen.

"He said there's no doorbell. What'd you ring?"

Philotes raised her hand, closed it and opened it to show a buzzer. She pushed it with her other hand, the sound echoing around them.

Marcaria blinked suddenly, getting an idea. "Hey…"

Momus was getting suspicious by the sudden onslaught of giggles. His sister was a good person, a good goddesses, but compared to the other children, she was a bit more eccentric. He could even say that she and Marcaria had similar traits.

Which he realized that it could all work against him. "Damn it. She sent her to torture me. Fucking aye."

Marcaria came in with a bound. "Mo! Give me your hand!"

He automatically gave it to her and felt fire go through him as he yanked back his hand. "You…. Freaking…"

She saw the look on his face and tore out of there with a shout. Just as he passed the living room, his face planted to the ground as Philotes tripped him.

"Hurry! Before he gets back up!" The two girls were gone in seconds.

He threw a tantrum on the ground. He found his time divided into chasing the two of them and being a butt of every joke they could think of. And together, they actually got the best of him most of the time.

He was hiding in a small area of trees, trying to find some peace as Nyx appeared gracefully. "How are things going?"

His dark gaze made her smirk. "I'm sorry but she's been causing a bit of trouble up in Olympus. She misses you."

"How can anyone miss me?"

"I miss you too."

Momus dropped his head.

Nyx settled, bending down to look at Momus. "You've lost some of your light."

"My light?"

"Godly power."

Momus blinked. "I don't understand."

"You're transiting into a Spirit, like Marcaria."

"How can you tell?" Momus stood up. "And I'm a God, remember, of Blame and all that shit?"

"Yes but remember, we are influenced by word and story. Perhaps she's changing you for the better."

"I thought you wanted me back in Olympus."

"I do. But I do concede that sometimes, I have to let go of my children to allow their happiness."

Momus snorted. "That makes everything better."

"Don't you want to be with Marcaria?"

"I.. well… sure, I guess but what am I without my Godly power? I'm supposed to be a Greek God! I don't want to change!"

"Not even for her?"

"What?" Momus scoffed. "No, of course not. I don't want to change who I am!"

"What?"

He froze at the sound of Marcaria's voice. "Prank…"

"You would rather lose me than lose your place as a God? Is that really where I stand with you? That all of this time was just you wasting it… for what? Someone to sleep with? To use?"

Marcaria pulled away slowly. "All right, Momus. If that's what you want, I only want you to be happy. I guess I was just wasting everything…"

She turned and ran off, her arm across her face as she cried softly. Momus stared at the empty spot.

Philotes spoke hesitantly. "Come on, Momus! Is it really that important to be a God?"

"Yes."

"But… we're just words of the humans! We're not real Gods!"

"We are real enough," He hissed. He threw his sister to Nyx. "Leave me."

"Momus," Nyx began.

"Tell Zeus I'll apologize, if he'll let me back to Olympus."

Nyx lowered her head as she disappeared. Philotes looked to Momus.

"I feel sorry for you. You're throwing away everything that we would ever want. To stay forever instead of disappearing. She loved you and you threw that away. For shame, Momus. You're really a fool."

Marcaria was alone, against a tree. It was early spring, where it was still crisp but at least Marcaria wouldn't suffer much.

"Hey, long time, no see. You're in my pond area… again. Remember the first time we met?"

Jack didn't get a response so he tapped her lightly with his staff. Her face tilted upward and the empty look made him hurt inside. He bent down carefully. "What's wrong?"

"I'm nothing."

"Nothing? You're the representative of April Fools! Celebrated everywhere!"

"All for others' happiness, for their own joy and laughter. Where is my happiness?"

She struggled to push up. "I look like a monster… therefore, I must be a monster. I spent all of this time fooling myself. I thought.. .well, I was stupid, wasn't I?"

Marcaria looked to Jack who looked utterly lost. "I.. I don't understand," He mumbled.

She smiled painfully. "I'm my own joke. I'm the Fool. I let myself believe that I could be happy, after so long of being alone.. Lost… trying to make others happy who don't even appreciate my work."

She turned away. "There's only one course to take. Good bye, Jack Frost. I'm sorry I treated you so hostilely. I now know why you're the Guardian of Fun."

She walked away like a zombie, emotionless and yet her cheek stained with her tears. Jack was worried but it wasn't like with human children, where he could help them not be afraid, this was a Spirit, someone who was in a way just like him.

She walked until she couldn't anymore, the pain of her soles making her entire body throb. She sat down in a dirt road, looking up at the partial moon.

"I'm sorry." She told the moon quietly. "I don't think I can go on. Please.. Just take the pain away for me? It's like having to live through my family's death… my mother, my father… my brothers and sisters… no longer around, surrounded by the loneliness of being just myself. I can't even do my job, Lune. You know that. I know that. So… just.. Make me disappear. No one needs me anymore…I was just the joke….the fool…"

Her head lowered as the light grew stronger. "Yes, Lune… that is my choice. My only one." Her hand touched her mauled side. "To think… that I could be beautiful. That I could be wanted… that I could have a family again… I was such a fool…"

Her head tilted upward slowly. "I'm already dead inside….please… Lune… take me away.."


	9. Chapter 9

Rise of the Guardians

Arlecchino

Chapter Nine

The girl wandered aimlessly, town after town. She ate nothing, drank nothing, merely walked, watched, and walked even more. She was partially transparent, each day a little bit of her seeming to fade away.

The only thing left of her physical form was her pain. It did not diminish, it did not fade, it stayed in her chest like a fire that could not be contained. It drove her to wander aimlessly, seeming to seek something. Lune had seemingly granted her wish for her to fade but it was time consuming and with her mind full of darkness and pain, she felt as if she were in constant torture.

She sat on the cliff, looking up at the stars. Her face was stained constantly with tears, her skin pale, her body thinner, frailer. She was a Spirit, she didn't need anything save to wander.

Marcaria remembered this devastating pain. It brought her back, to where she hovered over her family, unable to leave but seeing them suffer as if she were a ghost, draining them of their life. It had taken all of her to leave them but she kept close, trying to keep an eye on them but watching each of them grow old, die, and fade away into forgotten history.

She felt the moon touch her, trying to talk to her. But she no longer heard him or felt much of his light. Just enough for a vain attempt to talk some sense into her.

Elsewhere, Momus had returned to Olympus and remained cloistered in his old home. He did very little and the various visitors left feeling strange. He did not raise his voice, he did not insult, he did not point out the obvious in a cruel yet honest way.

"I rather like him like this," Zeus drank from his wine with glee. He grinned at Hera. She was dressed in the most elegant of outfits, her beauty shining like a sun, nearly as bright as the distinguished crown upon her head. "He no longer treads on my authority."

"It is wonderful to have him silenced." Hera purred, clinking glasses with her husband. "To think, a worthless mortal could change him."

The couple laughed, once more clinking their glasses.

Eris was at Momus's home as she stormed in. "It's been nearly a month, Momus. Either you straighten up or you go and get her back."

He was in the kitchen, drinking down his fifth bottle of wine. He was well past intoxicated. He was unkempt, filthy, and currently chugging down the wine, the residue falling down his chin to puddle against his clothes and floor.

"Momus… look at you."

He gurgled, coughed, and threw the empty bottle against the wall, watching it shatter. "Who the Hell cares?"

"Come on, Momus, go to her. You can't live like this." Her hand touched him, or least partially. Two of her fingers seemed to go through him as she pulled back hurriedly.

Eris was soft-voiced. "Momus… you're bringing your own destruction."

"Me? I'm not going to fade. My story still exists."

"But.. You're.. fading.."

He snorted. "It's not me."

They both froze as they realized who it was that was disappearing. For Momus, it felt as if the ground disappeared and he was falling fast into a pit of nothing.

"M..Mar… oh, Gods, what have I done?!"

"Go to her!" Eris cried. "Come on, Momus. Out of everything in this world, both ours and hers, no one but her has ever made you a better person! Not even the Almighty Father can do that. He's punished you, tried to praise you, anything to get what he wanted and yet… she did it without asking of anything from you."

"I can't. It's too late.." His eyes were haunted. "She's gone forever…it's my fault…"

"No, it's not! You need to actually try!" Eris tried to drag her brother up but it was like trying to move a dead body. "Oh, Gods, Momus! This isn't you! You fight, you argue, to just win! This is where you need to stand, to move, to take action! Not to crumble. If you're a goddamn God, then be it!"

He staggered to his feet and got outside to see Zeus waiting.

"Eris, what are you doing?"

"I'm taking Momus to where he's supposed to be."

"He belongs in Olympus. That is where we reside," Zeus's voice was sharp and cold.

"No, he doesn't. He belongs with his trinket. Zeus, don't you want to stay forever? Do you want to be like some of the Gods where they are halfway gone because humanity has forgotten them? That each decade, a story fades and disappears into history, that would cause their existence to fall into decay?"

"We do not fade," Zeus snapped. "We are all powerful, we are everything, we are GODS!"

Thunderbolts shattered the ground around Eris, who held onto Momus tightly. Dark clouds swirled over the group as Eris looked to Zeus.

"Are you insane?"

"I am the Almighty Father and you will obey me." His voice was low. "Do you understand?"

"I have to take him to her.." Eris started.

"You will not!" His hand raised as lightning grew violently. He made a swift gesture as Eris held onto Momus tightly, expecting to be struck by his bolt.

There as a sound of paper ripping, as the Heavens above broke apart as the moon shone in full glory. It struck the ground, causing the Gods' reality to fluctuate, warp as Zeus shouted and tried to attack the moon.

The light struck him, throwing him to the ground as he grunted under the force of the light.

Momus slowly looked up, his face full of nothing but anguish. "I'm sorry…"

A single, soft beam of moonlight touched him. Momus's eyes widened. "Eris.. We have to get to her… once this month is finished, she'll be gone forever.. There's only a few hours left!"

They managed to leave with a lot more ease with Zeus still crushed under the power of the Man in the Moon. He screamed incoherently, his power bounding and rebounding around him as he couldn't even direct his attacks to no one else but himself.

Eris was having trouble keeping Momus up. "Geez… you let yourself go. You're as a weak a kitten!"

He was about to fall to the side only to find his mother holding him up as she caught him. "Let's get him going."

The two women dragged him toward where they could sense Marcaria.

Cast in the full moonlight, she could finally start to feel empty inside. It'd taken a full month for her to finally be able to truly disappear. Her head was tilted up toward the moon, eye closed lightly as she breathed in and out, concentrating on the feeling of nothingness.

She was very transparent, sparkling in the moonlight. She seemed so small and insignificant. "Oh, Lune.. Should I have protected those children? Should I have died? You should've kept me decaying and broken."

Her head slowly slipped down. "Good bye, cruel world.. May someone else bring you laughter… far better than I could ever do."

There was an audible thud behind her as she jumped in shock. Cast in silence for the last month of nights, she spun around and found Momus collapsed on the ground. For all of her pain, she found herself hovering over him in grief. "What's wrong?! What's happened?"

There was a delicate hand that waved in front of her. Nyx bore a sad gaze upon her face. "Poor little Spirit, look at how you've become. If I had known that you could fade, I would have stopped this from the beginning. No one should want to disappear."

Momus's hand slowly lifted and tried to reach for Marcaria only to slip into her abdomen and downward through her bent knees. She'd never seen that look upon his face, full of a pain that resonated with hers. He struggled to his knees.

She couldn't help it. "You look like trash."

His eyes met with hers with no familiar fire. All she saw was a haunting, piercing gaze. "I was wrong." Even his voice was nothing but pain. "I would rather be with you than be what I thought I was supposed to be. I didn't think I could change… that it would be helpful… I thought if I changed… I would disappear all the more faster.."

"But instead, you are…" Both hands came up to cup around her face, desperate to touch her. "My heartlessness has no boundaries.. I am truly a monster."

"Prank, you can't leave me… if you leave me, then all I will want is to be forgotten. To fade away. I am truly sorry.. That I allowed my own worries to consume me, that I thought only for me. I would rather lose my powers and become your follower than to live alone."

"How do I know that you mean it?" Her voice was faint. The moonlight was growing dimmer upon her. She was still disappearing as Momus struggled to convince her.

"I have never lied to you… I have always been honest.. You know that. If you know that, then you know that I am being honest now.."

"You said you loved me… that you couldn't be without me.. But you threw me away," Her gaze turned upward toward him, her face streaked in tears. "Because you were afraid of losing yourself? I was afraid of losing you and I did…like I have lost everything else… how can I live when everything I love leaves me? How can I bring joy and light and happiness in the spirit of tomfoolery, to bring laughter in the shadows when in the end, there is nothing for me? No one to laugh with me? No one to bring me light in my darkness… I only wanted that…to feel like I was truly loved…"

"I do love you! I do! I do! I swear that I do!" He became desperate, trying to grasp onto her. "I never wanted to lose you, Marcaria! I always wanted to make you happy, that you gave me that gift, that ability. Please, don't leave me. Don't…"

His hands once more slipped through. Tears fell from his eyes as he looked up to the Moon. "You can undo this! You can! You should! Please! Just do it!"

He reached out his hands to the moon. "You are more powerful than I, then my kind! We are nothing but words, stories, legends. We will fade but you live! Please… don't let her do this. You can stop this. You rose her, you gave her life again!"

The moonlight danced across the two as Momus found himself wilting. "Then, let it be that way…"

He moved carefully, wrapping his arms around her without touching her. His forehead rested just mere millimeters. His eyes closed slowly as his body turned to light. And that light slowly dimmed until his entire body was made of nothing but shadows. His eyes opened slowly, the color fading from his gaze to become black and void of everything that was cast in his eyes.

His eyes teared up as he refused to break her gaze. "You fade, I fade. If I cannot convince you to live, then I shall die here with you."

Her eyes widened just a tiny bit. Her hands slowly fisted against her knees. The pain that had been fading was growing again, stronger.

And yet, this time, she welcomed the feeling. She may have wanted her own destruction, but she never wanted his. Never wanted him or anyone to be unhappy, to be left alone. That was why she was chosen to be a spirit.

She couldn't let others be in pain. Her hands came up to hold his face, his gaze dropping as his head dropped. His body fell forward as her arms clung around him, holding her to her breast. "All right. I believe you."

Her fingers dug into his back. "Just.. Don't leave me."

The moonlight slowly strengthened upon Marcaria as she buried her face into his neck, a sob breaking out. "Don't.. leave me."

"I won't.." His hand came up weakly to brush against her hair. They pulled away slightly. "Not ever."

"Well, isn't this a charming situation?" Zeus was visibly furious, angered beyond a melting point. "You and that stupid bitch.. And that fucking moon… You will feel my wrath, Momus. You are still a God and I can break you into itty bitty pieces!"

Nxy turned with rage. "You dare to attack my child?"

Zeus faltered only momentarily. "You dare to go against me? He will be punished!"

"Not this time," Nyx hissed. "He has done no wrong!"

"He goes against me! None are to do so, not even you! Stand aside or I will take you out first!"

Nyx was livid. "You have gone beyond your boundaries! All others have realized the truth but you insist on believing that you are all-powerful, that you are everything! But you, like I and everyone else, are just words!"

Zeus threw his bolts at quick succession, sending both Nyx and Eris fleeing. Momus couldn't get up, his body weak from the near month of apathy and suffering. Zeus reared up as Momus tried to cover Marcaria.

But it was Marcaria who covered Momus from the attack. She never let go as the barrage of bolts struck her.

He finally stopped, confident that he'd won. "Your pretty little trinket doesn't stand against me. I am the Almighty…"

He froze as Marcaria slowly pushed up. She turned slowly, limping but glaring. "You think you're all powerful? That you're some gift of the Heavens, made in the creation of perfection? That you can control every single thing?"

She pointed to him. "Well, guess what! You're controlled by the words of my world, the humanity who dreamt of your story, who wrote it and left it to be discovered. We control you! Not the other way around!"

She was wobbly as he moved to strike. He surged, bolts flying forward only to shatter against the moonlight casting a barrier over Marcaria. "You may think you're all powerful but are you, really? You are nothing compared to Lune! He gave up everything to become who he was, to become someone who watches and guides and protects! He that sees the good in people, who picks carefully to be the one to bring forth their destiny. We were all someone before but now, we're more."

She fell to her knees, exhausted. "I may look like a human, I may have been a human, but I'm something more, something more than you will ever be. I will never fade like you, I will not be forgotten, for Lune truly cares while you piss and moan if you don't get your way. You're nothing but a bully, a whining, cruel child who thinks that if he cannot have it, he'll take it regardless."

Her eye glared out. "You're done here. Leave!"

"You think you can make me?"

She staggered up. She focused her thoughts on Momus, not current but of him before. His small smiles, his tiny chuckle, little things that betrayed his humor, his spirit. His happiness that she had made, that she had made happen. That power within was hers alone and she used it for the first time in a way she'd never manage before.

Her arm arched in front of her, through a violent stream of focused power that sent Zeus more than flying but his body was crushed from the effects. He fell backwards, stunned that a single attack could best him.

He moved to his knees, calling upon more bolts. Her hand came up to the moon, the light beaming down to cast her in a glowing light, not unlike those incidents that Momus had shown. She was surrounded by Lune, as she remembered that same feeling as she had first been risen.

Protected. Loved. Cared for. Given a life, a purpose when her own had been cut so short. Her eye filled with tears as the moonlight strengthened around her and expelled itself, affecting no one else but Zeus. He was overcome in a foreign power, that consumed him as he did the only thing he could do. He fled back to Olympus, screaming with rage at his defeat.

Marcaria staggered, taking in a ragged breath as the moonlight once more danced upon her, soothing, warm, and safe. "Lune.. My first.. True friend.. Thank you for your help…"

She turned slowly, looking up with a small smile. "Thank you so much for never giving up on me."

Her smile was big and bright, her eye closed as she laughed and cried. Her form filled in swiftly, restoring herself to what she had been before.

Her head dropped to Momus, who looked up at her tiredly. She found herself talking softly. "You look like crap, Mo."

"Yea, well, I feel like shit so it all fits." Momus attempted to push up but had no energy for it. "I feel stranger."

The moon gently beamed upon him. "Ahh.. That's right. I gave it all up.."

He turned his head slightly away and upward. He seemed to be listening. "Great, I still have my abilities. Sadly, I can't do a thing until I have the energy to just move."

Eris tapped her chin and then offered her brother a red apple.

He glared at her.

"It's a -red- apple! Not golden! There's no strife to be had with this. It's going to make you feel better."

"Mother?"

Nyx sighed as she took the red apple and took a generous bite. "There, it's good."

Momus scarfed it down, eating everything, right down to the core. He blinked as light slowly filled around him as he stood up.

His form changed to that of what he looked like before, clean, nearly well-kept, and at the right spot. He smiled slowly at Marcaria. "Come, let's go home."

Marcaria held up a finger. "Hold that thought."

She reared over the cliff, heaving as once in a more physical form, she felt utterly sick to her system. She didn't even think she had anything in her stomach, having not touched a bit of food in the near-month of wandering.

"Oh, I feel sicker than a dog.." She pulled back only to once more push forward to heave.

"Maybe you need something to eat," Eris offered Marcaria a red apple and watched the other girl turned entirely green. "Oh, well, maybe not this."

Eris winced as Marcaria heaved on a now empty stomach.

"I should get her something to eat," Momus muttered and disappeared into a shadow.

"Oh, it hurts.." Marcaria was moaning as a warm wind picked up, a new figure coming from the swirling gust. She stepped lightly, clad in a green toga, with her long, dark brown hair piled upon her head gracefully, and bore a lion's mane around her shoulders that was attached to a long cloak of gold.

"Rhea?" Nyx was stunned. "What in the world of Hades are you doing here?"

Eris pranced around her. "Oh, it's so nice to see you!"

Rhea smiled as she walked past them and settled down to Marcaria. She pulled from her robes a wine glass. "Drink this."

Marcaria wasn't all that sure but the trusting gaze made her rethink her worry. She took it and swallowed only a small amount. Her stomach settled in seconds as she sighed in relief.

"Guess that's what happens when I don't eat… for a month."

"Oh, my dear child, it wasn't for hunger that you became sick. You should have been sick in the month before but due to situations, things had been stalled."

"Stalled? For what?"

Marcaria stood up and looked up at the moon with surprise. In the seconds he spoke to her, the whiter she got.

"I'm… going… to… kill.." Her fury was rabid as she spun on her heels. "We haven't even talked about it!"

She took a step and the world spun as she crumbled. Now her stomach was reminding her that she had a lack of sustenance and she was paying the price for it. "I'll have that apple please."

Eris handed it to her as Marcaria scarfed it down. "More please."

She'd finish two more apples as Momus appeared, carrying a very big turkey sandwich, complete with lettuce, tomato, and cheese, piled in several interlacing layers. "I think it's the best sandwich I've ever…"

He froze at her glare. "Already? Look, I'm more than willing to make up, you can beat me up, tear me to pieces, anything you want to do to me, I will willingly take."

He was endearing, soothing, and fully honest. She could see it in his face and eyes and wilted. "Oh, I couldn't be mad at you…"

"Really?" Eris muttered as the two ignored her. Rhea moved to stand closer to the two as Momus took note of her.

"Mother Rhea? What are you doing here? Especially out of Olympus."

"For your trinket."

"That's it, who came up with that? I want to know once and for all! Why do you all insist of calling me 'pretty trinket'? I'm a living person!"

"What? Is there something wrong with her?"

"There was, not anymore." Rhea walked to stand behind Marcaria, who was watching her warily. Rhea put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "There will be a demi-god born."

Marcaria whirled around. "Hey! You don't get to tell him that! That's my job!"

Momus was grinning like a fool as Marcaria zoomed in on him. He tried his best to look stern but unexpectedly, she was engulfed in his arms as he practically danced around.

Rhea spoke softly to Nyx. "Almighty Father will not be done. His wrath knows no bounds and he is consumed with his power."

"I know." Nyx was livid. "He usually fears me but his greed is overpowering him. Even Hera has her jealousy strengthened by his attitude, making them a fearsome team. What can we do to protect these two?"

"The Man in the Moon will do what he can. The trinket will be unable to do anything until she bears the son."

"Son?" Momus spun around eagerly. "A son! Yes!"

Marcaria was beating against him. "What if it was a girl? Or a hermaphrodite?"

"That'll be fine too."

"Seriously?" Marcaria was skeptical.

"Take her home, Momus. You both need to rest."

"As you say, Mother. Thank you, Mother Rhea." He disappeared into a shadow, puling Marcaria with him.

Marcaria was scarfing down the sandwich he made as he opened the door to the home. He had to wait a moment as she polished off the sandwich and was licking her fingers eagerly.

"Still hungry!" She informed him as she trailed after him into the kitchen. She didn't bother waiting for another sandwich as she pulled out random things from the fridge and began to munch. It took some time before she was full as she sat at the table, sated.

Momus was looking out the window as she eyed him. She stood up with some difficulty. Marcaria was wiped out and started to head out of the kitchen, aware of Momus at her heels, following close enough to be mere inches from her.

She was nearing her bedroom as he began to softly repeat. "Keep going, keep going, keep going.."

"You do that every time." She looked over her shoulder. "It's not fair that you look great already and I still look like crap."

"We'll shower."

"I'll shower, you stay out!"

"But.."

"Give me space for a while, Momus." She snapped and hurried into the master bathroom with a growl.

She took her time bathing and by the time she was finished, she was exhausted. She dressed weakly and made her way back into the bedroom. "I'm so tired."

"Yea?"

She looked to Momus. "Yea… I guess I did push myself to the limit." She avoided his gaze as she started for the far side of the bed.

She was quickly encircled in his arms, a light hug as his head buried into her wet hair. "Come to bed," His voice was hoarse as he lifted her and settled the two of them in the near center.

Momus had wrapped himself as closely to Marcaria as possible, unable to not touch her. She lay on her side, away from him as his hand rubbed against her side before going to stroke her stomach.

Marcaria was red-faced. "Have we made up?"

"Not by a long shot. You still need to kick my sorry ass to Timbuktu."

"Momus.."

"There's nothing I can do that can truly make up for my stupidity and selfishness." His voice was gentle. "And I don't expect you to forgive me for, like, ever. Just let me take care of you and win you back over. I swear I will be a far better man that I had ever been."

"And you won't use your godly power of persuasion?"

"Like that ever worked."

She giggled and then yawned widely. Her head buried into the pillow, eyelids growing heavy.

"Mo.."

"Hmm?"

"What's going to happen now?"

"What do you mean? What about the whole ass kicking?"

"No.." Her hand rested on his against her stomach. "This."

"Anything you want. I can make you anything to eat, drink, make up the nursery, maybe a fighting room… don't really know what the boy will do when he first comes out, after all."

Marcaria shifted and moved to roll over to face him with a frown.

"Sometimes baby Gods do something," Momus said slowly. "I'm just saying. It'll all over our mythology."

She glared at him. "He's going to act like a baby!"

"Anything you want, honey."

"Don't placate me!"

"I won't! I'm sorry!"

She growled and began to beat him with a pillow.

"Whoa, fierce mama! Take it easy there, tigress, got to take care of yourself!"

"Take care of this!"

Under the pillage of the pillow hits, Momus was just laughing in relief as he managed to finally hug her down. "Never letting you go. Never being that stupid, that moronic, that much of a fucking ass."

He kissed her cheek as she was still wiggling furiously against him. "Go to sleep, love. You can beat me up tomorrow. I know you're tired."

"Fine but this isn't over."


End file.
